Demon's Heir
by Serene Ice Dragon
Summary: It's been years since Tsuzuki killed Sargantanas and Fuokaroru, the demon who wanted to kill Tsuzuki in order to gain Sargantanas' position. However, new, mysterious deaths in Kyushu lead Tsuzuki and Hisoka to believe the battle is far from over...
1. Troubles Revived

_**Summary**: It's been years since Tsuzuki killed Sargantanas and Fuokaroru, the demon who wanted to kill Tsuzuki in order to gain Sargantanas' position. However, new, mysterious deaths in Kyushu lead Tsuzuki and Hisoka to believe the battle is far from over. The pair now have to fight for their lives as well as the lives of numerous others while trying to solve a case that may force Tsuzuki to confront his past._

_**Author's Note:** Inspiration for this fic was somewhat random, I don't even remember how the idea came to me, but I wanted to write a story that dealt with the demons attacking Tsuzuki in order to usurp his position that he obtained by killing Sargantanas. While this is addressed in the St. Michael's arc, I'm sure Fuokaroru isn't the only demon that would try to earn this position. I also wanted to delve into Tsuzuki's past, since it's only touched upon in the manga, so that is also going to be incorporated into this fic. Anyhow, enough of my babbling, onto the story!_

* * *

"Tsuzuki-san, Kurosaki-kun, the Chief would like to see you both."

Tsuzuki wasted no time in dropping his pen and turning away from his paperwork. "Good, my hand was starting to cramp from all that writing."

Hisoka rolled his eyes. "Please. You did half the amount I did and you don't hear me complaining." After finishing the paper he was working on, he put his pen down and followed his partner to the meeting room.

"We have a case for you two." Konoe said as the pair took their seats. The lights were turned off as the projector was turned on. Tsuzuki gasped and covered his mouth in horror and disgust at the pictures covering the screen. A few featured bodies that were torn to shreds, one of them was a skeleton with only some bits of flesh hanging off the bones, and a few still had their faces, though were quite damaged.

"There has been a large number of strange deaths in Kyushu. The causes of these deaths are unknown. There also seems to be no sort of pattern"

Watari nodded in agreement and looked down at a clipboard in his hands. "The victims were killed at various times of the day and on various days of the week. They are all different ages, ranging from young children to the elderly. Both males and females have been killed from all different areas of Kyushu, people of all different backgrounds...in other words, these killings all seem to be completely at random. If it was a serial killer, we'd expect a pattern of some sort, a signature to look for, but I couldn't find anything. The only thing is that they all appear to have been very violent deaths. But, even then, some bodies are more damaged than others."

"We also have a report of somebody who was nearly killed twice and wound up hospitalized with severe wounds the second time. He is currently recovering from the last attack." Konoe said, and handed a file to Tsuzuki after turning the lights back on.

Tsuzuki's eyes widened as he looked at a name on one of the papers, disbelieving what it said. "Minase Hijiri?!"

Hisoka leaned over to Tsuzuki to look at the file in his hands. "Hijiri? We had that case with him a few years ago." He looked up at Konoe. "Was his attacker the same as our other victims?"

"It's not certain, though it is likely. The only reason he is still alive is due to the fact he has bodyguards."

"He must have become quite the popular violinist." Tsuzuki said, reading over the report. Had this information not come paired with news of Hijiri being hospitalized for a near-fatal attack, Tsuzuki would have been more happy for him. "According to this, both times he had been found after wandering around without a bodyguard. The first time he was found still standing, but the second time he was found on the ground, torn up and barely alive." Tsuzuki frowned at the horrendous image that formed in his mind.

"Did they see his attacker?" Hisoka asked.

"Umm...doesn't appear so. They have no clue what happened. Even after searching the area immediately following the attack, they found nothing."

Konoe began pacing back and forth in front of Tsuzuki and Hisoka. "Even if these attacks are not linked, they are both in your area, so they both require your investigation. You may want to talk to Minase and see what he has to say. I'm sure he'll have no problem talking to you about it. If there is a connection, he might be able to help."

Tsuzuki put the paperwork back into the manilla folder and got to his feet. "Got it. We'll leave right away."

"Good luck."

"Minase-san? You have visitors."

"Visitors?" Hijiri sat up slowly, trying not to agitate his injuries, curious as to who his visitors could be. He hadn't been expecting anybody.

"You should stay laying down. Don't want you to hurt yourself." A familiar voice called from behind the nurse. As she stepped aside, Hijiri's eyes widened.

"You're...Tsuzuki! And Hisoka! Ah!" Hijiri clenched his teeth as pain shot through his left side from sudden movement.

"Hey, be careful!" Tsuzuki said, walking over to Hijiri's bedside, Hisoka trailing behind him. "Long time no see, Hijiri. I'm surprised you still remember us."

As the pain subsided, Hijiri relaxed and found a comfortable sitting position. "Like I could forget you. What are you doing here? Wait, let me guess, you're here to find out what happened."

Tsuzuki's smile slowly fell. He wished they were meeting under better circumstances, and he didn't really like having to come question Hijiri when poor kid was stuck in a hospital bed. He was almost completely covered in bandages. One of his eyes- the one that was transplanted, in fact- was covered, presumably because he had been scratched across it. Tsuzuki hoped that didn't mean he'd lost sight in that eye. Despite all of this, Hijiri still appeared cheerful. His stubbornness and determination was apparently helping to lead him to a good recovery.

"Unfortunately." Tsuzuki turned around to see if the nurse was still there. Seeing she wasn't, Tsuzuki continued in a lower voice, "New cases. I'm sure you've heard about all the strange deaths occurring."

Hijiri gave a small nod. "Yeah. Apparently, I was supposed to be one of them."

"So you think your attacker is the same one that killed those other people?"

"Probably. It makes sense. Why don't you guys take a seat and have a snack? I have plenty of food, more than I'm gonna eat." He motioned to the table by his bed, which was covered in boxes, all containing goodies given to him by fans. "Go ahead, Tsuzuki, I know you want some."

"Really? Thank you, Hijiri!" Tsuzuki turned to the boxes and began looking for which pastry he wanted. It was a hard decision, since all of them looked delicious.

"Having any, Hisoka?" The violinist asked after the younger Shinigami didn't move.

Hisoka shook his head. "No, thanks."

Hijiri smiled. "Same old Tsuzuki and Hisoka. I know you guys aren't here for a good reason, but it's still nice to see you again. I never forgot what you guys did for me, and I've made sure to play my violin to my absolute best."

"So we've heard." Tsuzuki said with a smile. "You're really famous now, eh?"

Hijiri shrugged, a movement he immediately regretted, though he didn't show he was in pain. "Guess you could say that. It gets rather bothersome though. Especially now that I was attacked, being anywhere without somebody guarding me is impossible. It drives me nuts. They almost didn't even let me keep the food, wondering if somebody poisoned it. I eventually convinced them that they were being ridiculous, but they still didn't give it to me until they'd tested it."

"And they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when you got attacked?" Hisoka asked.

"No. I don't even really know what happened. Whatever it was got me without me seeing. I just remember something attacked me from behind, and this horrid feeling, similar to how I felt when Sargantanas was after me."

Tsuzuki stopped eating his pastry mid-bite. "Sargantanas? How so?"

"I can't explain it. It was just...this dark, depressing feeling. For a brief moment, it just felt like there was no hope in the world. I was going to die, and there was nothing that could be done. I couldn't move either, so whatever it was paralyzed me so I couldn't fight back."

Hisoka looked to Tsuzuki. "Demons?"

"Sounds it...but I've never heard of demons attacking as such a large scale before and seemingly unprovoked."

"They're demons. Do they need a reason?"

"Even demons have laws to follow, Hisoka. Otherwise, there'd be chaos all the time with the demon world and the human world fighting, and if that happened Meifu would have to get involved as well. We have to find out just what's going on with the demon world."

"Do you think..." Hisoka hesitated a moment, trying to find the right way to word his sentence. He didn't want to make it sound like it was Tsuzuki's fault for the attacks. In no way would he ever mean that, but Tsuzuki had a tendency to blame things on himself and be harsh on himself even if it wasn't his fault and out of his control. "Do you think it has to do with Sargantanas? You know, since Hijiri was attacked. It was a couple years ago but...why else would Hijiri be targeted twice?"

Tsuzuki stared out the window. It made sense. The demons had been after him before too, back when they had the case at St. Michael's. Him killing Sargantanas had officially given him the demon's position, and many other demons sought after it. If they killed him, they would take over, and Sargantanas had been a top-rank demon. It could all very well be a plan to lure Tsuzuki out. All these people could be dying just because the demons wanted him...

Catching Hisoka's gaze, Tsuzuki quickly pushed those thoughts aside. "It could. I'm sure that's caused problems in the demon realm." He turned to Hijiri. "You're going to hate me for saying this, but make sure you stay around your guards after you get released from here. If it is demons, chances are you'll be attacked again, and I'd hate for that to happen."

"Ugh, I hate being around bodyguards all the time!"

"Please, Hijiri."

Hijiri sighed. "Alright, fine. I'm sure I'll be under really tight security now anyway."

Tsuzuki gave a small smile and got to his feet. "Well, we should get going. Be careful. We'll try to see you again sometime before we leave back to Meifu, though we might have to stop by again anyway. See you later, Hijiri!"

"I will. Bye Tsuzuki, bye Hisoka!"

"Bye, Hijiri."

"Sargantanas, huh?" Tsuzuki said as he and Hisoka left the hospital. "That means they still haven't been able to fill his position...there are still demons who want to kill me to get it, and they're attacking to lure me out..."

Hisoka frowned. He knew what Tsuzuki was thinking about. Even though he knew it wasn't his fault, he would blame himself anyway. If Tsuzuki even dared to consider giving in to end it...

"Tsuzuki, come with me."

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"I want to talk to you."

Hisoka knew that if he didn't confront Tsuzuki, it would never be discussed, and it would only get worse. Before they even started this case, he was going to make sure they were on the same page. Nip the problem in the bud, so to speak. That was one thing he'd learned to do after Kyoto. At first, he'd been afraid to bring anything up, not wanting to push Tsuzuki back into depression, but soon realized that doing so would only cause repeats of the problems that caused his depression to begin with. He'd started bringing things up much quicker when he thought there was a problem, and it worked. Tsuzuki talked to him more readily, and Hisoka found it left his partner more happy. Hisoka, too, was opening up more, finding it more and more easy to ask Tsuzuki for help and comfort when he needed it. They were steadily climbing up from the fall, and it was apparent in their attitudes. They were helping each other stay happy, and when one of them was happy, the both of them were happy.

"Sit." Hisoka commanded after finding a deserted bench.

Tsuzuki did as he was told. "What's wrong?"

Hisoka sat down next to his partner, watching him with a stern gaze. "If this does have to do with Sargantanas and the demons are targeting you...I want to make sure you're going to fight back."

"Of course I'm going to fight back. I can't just let them run around killing people."

"And you won't blame yourself for any of it."

Tsuzuki went silent as he realized where this conversation was going. Hisoka had picked up on his thoughts earlier, and he was calling him out on it. It was hard to hide things from an empath. "I didn't say-"

"I know you didn't, but I want to make sure you understand this before we start this case." When Tsuzuki didn't say anything, Hisoka continued, "Tsuzuki, talk to me. How long have we been partners for?"

"About five years?" Tsuzuki sighed, understanding Hisoka's point. If they had been partners for that long and still couldn't confide in each other, there was a problem. Especially now, with such a potentially dangerous case, they needed to be able to perfectly understand each other so that they could work together well. "I know it's not directly my fault, but...I still can't help but feel responsible for the lives of all those people. I mean, it's because the demons want _me_ that they are attacking."

"But think about it. It would be the same no matter who defeated Sargantanas. If it had been Tatsumi, they'd be after him."

"But it's _always_ me! It's like no matter what I do, anybody who's connected to me in some way gets hurt!"

"And who was responsible for most of that? Muraki. He's the reason those people died. Not you. Why was it you who defeated Sargantanas? Because you are the most powerful Shinigami among us, and don't you dare say you aren't. I don't want you to blame yourself for anything that has happened or will happen on this case. Don't keep anything bottled up either. I don't care what it's about, if you need to talk about something, then tell me. Nothing's worse than knowing something is wrong but not being able to help. I'm not your partner for nothing. Understand?"

Tsuzuki nodded. "I understand. Thanks, Hisoka."

"Good. So...what next?"

"Well, if it is me they're after, we have to let them know I'm here. Since the attacks are all random, there's no one set place to wait for them to attack..." Tsuzuki frowned. "At least before, it was concentrated into one area. It has to be more than one demon that's in on this. The demon realm might be having some big problems right now."

"Well, if you're out in the open, they're bound to spot you. Especially if we stick around Hijiri. I doubt they are going to just leave him alone, they are going to keep trying to kill him until they succeed or find you."

"You're probably right. We'll stick around this area for now then, and once Hijiri is released from the hospital, we'll move too. Heh, he'd be mad if he realized we were guarding him again."

Hisoka shrugged. "He wouldn't be that upset. There are always guards near him now anyway, I'm sure he'd much rather have you around than them. He likes you, you saved his life. That happens when you protect people." If Tsuzuki hadn't figured that out by now, then he was more dense than Hisoka thought.

"I guess you're right."

"You guess? I'm always right." Hisoka teased.

Tsuzuki smirked. "Always, huh? Alright then, answer me this: How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"

Hisoka stared blankly. "...What?"

"How many licks does it take to get passed all the hard candy casing and reach the soft chewy center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?"

"How am I supposed to know that?! You're the one that eats lollipops, not me!"

"But I thought you were always right?"

"I am, but that's not something I would know!"

Tsuzuki signed. "Alas, the world still may never know." Reaching over, Tsuzuki pulled Hisoka into a headlock and gave him a noogie. "Not even the all-knowing Hisoka Kurosaki knows!"

"Tsuzuki! Cut it out!" Hisoka said, trying to squirm out of Tsuzuki's grasp.

Tsuzuki laughed and let Hisoka go. "Alright, alright." He sighed, "I wish we had some leads to go by. If only we had a connection to the demon world..."

"Isn't there somebody in Meifu who can help us?"

"You'd think there would be. I guess we could ask Watari to do some research for us, though I don't know what he'll be able to find out on such little information."

Hisoka sat back and thought. There had to be something they could use. He'd read books on mythology and demonology from all kinds of cultures, perhaps they could find something in books. Though the books in the living world had no real proof of the existence of demons, some of them were surprisingly accurate. Granted, he knew little about the demon world, his only knowledge coming from what happened with Sargantanas and at St. Michael's, but, being a Shinigami now, he could guess that some of the stories weren't that farfetched. This incident couldn't be the first in history, either. There had to be a record of a similar event.

"We should check out some books. This can't be the first time something like this has happened. Whether anyone knew exactly what was going on or not, it's a start. I could contact the Gushoshin and ask them to find information for us."

"Good idea! I'm not sure what we'll find, but it's worth a shot."

"Let's head back to the hotel so I can e-mail them." Hisoka stood up and began walking, letting Tsuzuki fall into step beside him. "Do you remember hearing anything about demons attacking before?"

"No, not really. There haven't really been any attacks from demons since I've become a Shinigami. Getting into and leaving the demon realm is apparently really difficult. Most lesser demons can't get through the barrier separating the worlds, and Shinigami don't know how to break through either." Thinking about it now, Tsuzuki realized he knew a lot less about the demon world than he thought. He was pretty good when it came to battling them (physically, at least), but he knew little about the workings of the demon realm. While a demon coming to the living world to attack humans wasn't totally uncommon, it didn't happen as often as one might think. He had only had a handful of cases that involved demons, and he was the oldest Shinigami in the department, apart from Chief Konoe.

Hisoka frowned. "That doesn't help."

"You do a lot of reading, you haven't read anything about it before?"

"No. Just myths and stories about them. I haven't come across any official documents or anything, but that's why I'm asking the Gushoshin, they might have something somewhere that's not on library shelves."

Once they got back to their room, Hisoka booted up their laptop and began typing out an e-mail to the Gushoshin twins explaining their situation and their request for any kinds of documents about demons that would help them. Tsuzuki, meanwhile, made himself comfortable on the bed and started reading the newspaper, checking for any suspicious incidents that might have related to their case. Skimming through it, he couldn't find anything that he didn't already know about. Since he couldn't find anything useful, he pushed the paper aside, grabbed the remote and turned on the television. There wasn't anything relevant on at the moment, but he decided to leave it on in case something did happen.

Tsuzuki sighed and pulled out the case folder. He flipped through the files, searching for something he might have missed before. There was nothing there that proved his and Hisoka's theory true or false. As things stood, it seemed like the demons were trying to lure Tsuzuki out. If that was true though, they would probably find out soon. The demons were sure to attack him as soon as they got the chance. The sooner, the better. He didn't want more innocents to be killed.

"Tsuzuki! Hey, Tsuzuki!"

Tsuzuki looked up at Hisoka when he finally realized he was being called.

"Look at the T.V.!"

Putting the folder aside, Tsuzuki looked up at the television, which he had been too caught up in his thoughts to pay any attention to.

"The police are currently trying to apprehend the man, it's reported that he shot four people, and it's currently unknown if any are dead. From what I can gather it was a completely random attack from a seemingly peaceful man-"

Before the reporter got to say anything else, a man raced up to her, grabbed the microphone and pushed her to the ground.

"This is for you, Tsuzuki! I know you're there! Come out! Come out so I can kill you!"

Just then, the man was tackled by a police officer. The camera moved back as the two struggled on the ground. The man managed to grapple the officer's gun from him, held it to his own head, and pulled the trigger.

Tsuzuki stared at the screen in horror, no longer really hearing anything that was being said. They already knew he was here, and they were resorting to drastic measures to lure him out. At least one man was now dead, 4 or more injured. There was no question about it anymore, the demons wanted Tsuzuki. This entire case was to lure him out. That man had been possessed, though by which demon Tsuzuki didn't know. All that he knew was he had to get there before any more innocents were killed. The demon clearly wasn't a patient one.

Without any other warning, Tsuzuki jumped up from the bed, ready to rush to the scene. He didn't become aware of Hisoka until the younger Shinigami yanked him back by his wrist.

"Hold on!"

"I can't wait, I have to go now! I have to get there before anybody else is hurt!"

"At least wait for me!"

Hisoka left everything as it was, grabbed his jacket and followed Tsuzuki out the door, barely able to keep up with his taller partner as he ran as fast as his legs would carry him to meet the demon that had called him out.

The area was still full of people when they got there. An ambulance was just driving off, presumably with somebody inside. Two bodies were laying on the ground, covered with a large cloth. People were being ushered away by police, though the crowd was still large. Tsuzuki turned and ran to a more secluded area, finally stopping in a nearby alleyway.

"I'm here! Come out!"

Not a second after Tsuzuki had called out the demon, Hisoka's head erupted in pain. He tried not to collapse as the pain intensified. Tsuzuki's voice sounded muffled as he yelled Hisoka's name. The hand that grabbed the back of Hisoka's head, however, was not Tsuzuki's, and the Shinigami responded by sending a powerful blast of energy back at the hand's source. There was a roar as the hand fell back, and the pain began to recede. Hisoka turned around to see what looked like a regular human, though Hisoka knew better. The man was possessed.

The man looked at his arms, which were both bleeding from Hisoka's attack. "Hmph. Human bodies are so frail."

"Let him go." Tsuzuki growled.

The man gave a sinister grin. "I can't do that. You see, I can't stay in the human world without a host. Fortunately, humans are very easy to take control of."

"In that case..." Tsuzuki pulled an ofuda out of his pocket. "I'll just have to force you out."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The man held a knife to his own throat. "Try it, and I'll kill him."

Tsuzuki froze. "Bastard."

"Do it, Tsuzuki." Hisoka said.

"But...he'll kill that man!"

"What's one life compared to all the other lives that will suffer if you don't catch him now?!"

Tsuzuki stared at Hisoka, unbelieving of what he had just heard. Sure, Hisoka could be cold sometimes, but he wasn't _that_ cold. "But, Hisoka-"

"Do it, or I will."

The man laughed. "I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from a Shinigami. But, tell me, Tsuzuki, will you really allow him to let this man die?"

Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka, torn between what to do. "I...I don't..."

Hisoka grabbed Tsuzuki's wrist, trying to make physical contact while trying to appear to be angry with him. "Do it. Now." _Trust me._

Though he still didn't know what Hisoka's plan was, he did know that Hisoka had a plan, and it just required Tsuzuki to do what he said. All Tsuzuki had to do was trust him.

"I guess...you're right."

The man looked taken back. "Do you realize what you are saying? This man will die!"

"I've killed before. What's one more sin on my list?"

Tsuzuki held out the ofuda and began chanting the spell. The demon yelled for him to stop, but to no avail. Finally, as Tsuzuki began to cast the spell, the demon made the man slit his neck. As the spell hit, the demon was expelled from the human. Hisoka caught the man before he hit the ground and carefully laid him down as the demon screamed and dissipated into the air.

"Is he...?"

Hisoka shook his head. "The demon didn't have time to cut deep enough." He held his hands near the man's neck and began healing the wound. "That's what I was hoping for. The demon was hoping you wouldn't want to harm the man, and thus submit to him. When you decided to exorcise him anyway, he didn't know what to do, and if I could heal the man before he died, we'd win."

"Ah. So that's what you meant. How did you do that, by the way?"

"Do what?"

"When you grabbed my wrist, you told me to trust you, but you never spoke it."

"You heard me?"

Tsuzuki nodded.

"I don't know...I was just trying to get you to understand what I meant. It was a strange idea, but I thought since physical contact helps to channel other's emotions into me, maybe I could reverse it to channel my thoughts to you, kind of like our first case, when you asked to synch with me."

Tsuzuki thought about it for a moment. It made sense, though when they synched back then, it had been with intent on both sides. If that is what had happened this time, it had come without Tsuzuki even trying. "Well, that would come in handy if you can do it again."

Their conversation was interrupted as the man began to stir. Hisoka moved back, watching as the man sat up.

"Where...am I? What happened?" He looked from Hisoka to Tsuzuki and back. "Who are you two?"

"We found you unconscious, so we were checking to see if you're alright." Hisoka said.

"What happened?" Tsuzuki asked.

The man stared at the ground, trying to remember what happened. "I was...at a crime scene. Some man went crazy and started shooting people. The police came and...that's all I remember. The rest is blank. I don't know how I got here."

"Are you feeling alright now?"

"Other than the memory loss, yeah." The man got to his feet, still looking a bit dazed, but trying not to act it. "I guess I'll get going then. Uh...thanks for the help."

Tsuzuki watched as the man left. The demon was gone now, but was that the only one? How many more were after him and willing to do something so drastic to get his attention? He hoped there wouldn't be many, or that that one was the only one. The only problem was, if that demon really had been the only one, surely the king of the demon world would have done something about it. Acts such as that were forbidden, as far as Tsuzuki knew. If they weren't, then surely more demons would attack more regularly. Were there a lot more, then, conspiring together, making it difficult for the demon world to find out who was doing it?

"Hey! Is everything alright over here?" A woman's voice suddenly said, breaking Tsuzuki out of his thoughts.

Standing at the end of the alleyway was one of the most gorgeous women Tsuzuki had ever seen. She had long, auburn hair that reached her waist. As she got closer, he could tell that her eyes were a light green. Her walk was elegant, and her figure was nicely proportioned. She was the type of girl that caught the eyes of many men, especially the perverted ones, which made Tsuzuki wonder why she'd walk into an alleyway by herself and over to two men she didn't even know.

"Everything is fine." Hisoka said.

"Oh...I heard some screaming and wanted to make sure everything was okay, especially after what just happened."

Hisoka raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think wandering into an alley by yourself when you know something is wrong is a stupid thing to do?"

"Hisoka!"

"It's true and you know it." Hisoka said, glancing over at Tsuzuki.

The woman's laugh was hypnotizing. "Oh, it's okay. I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I wanted to know if I needed to get anybody help. I'd hate for there to be more victims. Besides, I know how to take care of myself."

"Well, everything is alright, so don't worry about it!" Tsuzuki said with a smile. "We should probably get out of this alley though, it'll look suspicious."

"Are you two from around here?" The woman asked as she walked with Tsuzuki and Hisoka out of the alleyway.

"No. We're on vacation!"

"Really? Do you have some free time this evening?"

"Uh...we-"

Hisoka interrupted Tsuzuki, "We're busy."

"Aw, not even time for dinner? I was hoping...somebody could provide me with company, at least for a little while. I've been horribly lonely ever since..." She stopped talking and walking, causing Tsuzuki to stop as well, and, in turn, Hisoka.

"Ever since what?"

"Ever since my boyfriend died. He was killed about a month ago. The police believe it was a murder, but there are no clues as to who did it or why."

Tsuzuki frowned. Was her boyfriend killed by a demon? Maybe they could get information from her. Plus, she seemed awfully nice, and he had no real reason to turn her down. It was only dinner, and they probably would have gone out to eat anyway, so it wasn't like he could get in trouble for getting involved with the living. "We can join you for dinner if you'd like, though we can't stick around for long."

The woman smiled. "Great! Meet me here at 5:30? Oh, my name is Miyako, by the way. Kuroki Miyako."

"Tsuzuki Asato. And this is my par-er...brother, Kurosaki Hisoka."

"Nice to meet you." Miyako said. "I'll see you later then!"

"Bye!" Tsuzuki waved as Miyako walked away. As soon as she was gone, Hisoka jabbed Tsuzuki in the side with his elbow. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"For agreeing to meet her for dinner."

Tsuzuki pouted. "What's wrong with it? Her boyfriend may have been killed by demons, we could get information from her."

"You'd understand if you could sense her emotions. She wanted you, Tsuzuki."

"Aw, you're just jealous that I got the attention of a pretty woman!"

Hisoka glared. "I'm most certainly not jealous of that sort of attention. She may have acted sweet and innocent, but she was lusting after you so much it was giving me a headache just being near her. There's something...off about her. You're better to just blow dinner with her off. We'll go somewhere else."

"That would be mean! Besides, I can't help it if my charm turns women on."

Thoroughly annoyed, Hisoka whacked Tsuzuki on the back of his head. "Tsuzuki! Stop joking around, I'm serious! Something about her creeps me out, and you shouldn't get involved with her at all! We have more important things to be worrying about!"

"It's just dinner, we're going to eat anyway. It's not like I'll ever see her again, it's just a simple dinner."

Hisoka shook his head. Tsuzuki just didn't get it. His partner couldn't feel other's emotions like he could. There was something wrong with Miyako, and it wasn't just the disturbing way she wanted Tsuzuki. It felt like there was something dark mixed in with her emotions, something that warned Hisoka to stay far away from her. But, of course, Tsuzuki just had to accept her offer.

"Fine. But I'm going with you. I don't trust her at all. Don't let her take advantage of you, Tsuzuki. I warned you, so don't come crying to me if something goes wrong."


	2. Mistake

_Author's Note: I might have pushed the T rating a tad in this chapter (or not, I just like to be safe), but there's still nothing graphic or explicit, so it's still not M-rated material. You'll see what I mean. Sorry it's short, especially compared to my last chapter, but I felt where I ended it was a good place_. _Hope it's alright. Also, for some reason, my breaks between events seem to be getting erased every time I type them in and save it on the document manager, so I apologize for any awkward transitions! ^^; Enjoy!_

* * *

It was 5:35, and Tsuzuki was late to meet Miyako. He'd been typing up a report of what happened to send to Chief Konoe and had completely lost track of time. Hisoka hadn't bothered to remind Tsuzuki, both because it was Tsuzuki's responsibility to remember and because he was hoping Tsuzuki would be so late that the woman would give up waiting and leave before they got there. Unfortunately for him, they hadn't been late enough, and she was still there when they finally arrived.

Miyako led Tsuzuki to a nearby restaurant and got a table for them. Hisoka got his own table, wanting to stay near his partner in case something happened. He'd been placed farther away from them than he would have liked, but just went with what he had and made sure to keep his eye on Miyako.

After dinner arrived and they began eating, Tsuzuki decided to try to approach the subject of Miyako's deceased boyfriend. It was a tricky subject to work around if he wanted to get any information without making her not want to talk to him. Plus, he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Still, it could be of help with their case, and that was more important than not making the dinner awkward at the moment.

"So, uh...sounds like there have been a lot of mysterious murders lately."

"Oh, yeah. Too many. People are starting to get freaked out, saying it's the work of the devil and stuff like that."

Tsuzuki hesitated a moment, trying to figure out the best way to word his question. "Do you think that's what happened to your boyfriend?"

Miyako sighed. "I don't know. I can't think of anybody who'd want to kill him, but it's not like there was anything weird happening to us beforehand. No hauntings or weird crap like that."

"Oh...", was all Tsuzuki could think to say. He didn't want to press the issue. If she wanted to talk about it more, she would. If not, she could drop it.

"How's your dinner?" Miyako asked, effectively ending the discussion of her boyfriend and going to a more safe topic.

"Oh, it's good, yours?"

"Delicious."

Twenty minutes of talking and 6 glasses of wine later, the pair had finished their dinner and Tsuzuki was looking over the dessert menu. Miyako had suggested the apple pie with ice cream, which Tsuzuki was all too happy to hear. They ended up splitting one, though Miyako only had a small amount and gave the rest to Tsuzuki.

Miyako smiled as Tsuzuki finished the dessert. "Hey, want to come back to my place for a little while?"

The Shinigami almost choked on the piece of pie he had been eating. He hadn't expected the woman to invite him anywhere other than dinner. At least, he certainly hadn't intended anything else to come out of it. "Oh...um...I can't."

"Come on, just for a little while. You're on vacation, after all, might as well enjoy it, right?"

Tsuzuki bit his lip, suddenly feeling highly uncomfortable. "But my brother-"

"He's old enough to take care of himself, isn't he?"

"Well, yes but-"

Miyako grabbed Tsuzuki's hand from across the table. "Then don't worry about it. He'll be fine. I'm sure you know what it's like to be lonely. Sleeping by yourself just isn't any fun."

As much as he wanted to leave, Tsuzuki was finding it impossible to tell the woman no. He didn't know why, and it was highly unlike him to go back to a woman's house with her after only having known her for a couple of hours, but something about her was pulling him in, and, despite all his intention of telling her no, the word that instead came out of his mouth was, "Alright."

A grin spread across Miyako's face. "It'll be a night to die for."

"I'm telling you, I didn't order any wine!" Hisoka yelled, aggravation mounting as the waitress kept insisting that Hisoka had asked for a bottle of wine.

"But I was told to come to this table, I'm just doing my job."

"I'm not even old enough! I'm 16! Do you want to get in trouble for serving alcohol to a minor?" For once, being physically only 16 worked out in his favor.

The waitress took the bottle back and sighed. "Fine, you're right, you don't look old enough. Like I said, I was just doing what I was told."

Hisoka sighed in aggravation. How the hell could they mess that up? He took another bite of his food, which he had been eating very slowly to make sure he wouldn't have to leave before Tsuzuki did, and looked back over at the table his partner was seated in. The problem was, his partner was no longer there, nor was Miyako. Hisoka dropped his fork and rushed over to the empty booth. The money for their dinner was already on the table, meaning they were gone.

Cursing under his breath, Hisoka slid into the seat he had seen Miyako sitting in. He grasped her fork, hoping to pick up on any thoughts she had before they left. The image of a hotel he knew was nearby flashed through his mind, along with a couple of dirty thoughts about Tsuzuki he'd rather not have picked up on and only proved to anger him further. He knew there was something wrong with that woman, and she had somehow gotten Tsuzuki to leave with her. Had she threatened him? Surely Tsuzuki wouldn't just leave him there without saying anything to him. Something had to have forced him.

Hisoka threw the fork down, jumped out of the chair, pulled enough money out of his pocket to pay for his meal, left it on his table, and ran out the door.

If he was correct, the hotel Miyako had been thinking of- and the hotel she had taken Tsuzuki to- were just down the street. He remembered seeing it on his way to the restaurant. It only took a couple of minutes to reach. The problem was how to figure out where Tsuzuki was without causing a ruckus.

"Excuse me."

Hisoka stopped running, having only made it just outside the restaurant, and turned around to the man that had spoken. "What?" He growled, not wanting to waste any time. Unfortunately, the man didn't seem phased by his apparent agitation.

"Have you seen my sister? Her name is Miyako. Long, auburn hair, green eyes? I thought I saw you with her earlier so I was wondering if you knew where she went."

Miyako? Sister? Maybe this guy could help... "I was just looking for her, actually. I think she said she was going back to her hotel but I don't know where that is..."

"Oh. Well, if you come with me, I know where she is in that case."

Hisoka nodded and followed the man into the hotel. He tried reading the man's emotions, but he was having a hard time finding much. The man didn't give off quite as dark an aura, but Hisoka still felt uncomfortable. Still, if this man could help him find Tsuzuki, it was worth the risk. He was led into a room, which, upon stepping inside, he realized was empty. The man locked the door behind them, and Hisoka realized he had stepped right into a trap. The man had been hiding his true intentions before, but now the empath could clearly feel the malevolence oozing from him.

"What's the matter, boy? You look scared." The man gave a wicked grin.

"What are you trying to do?" Hisoka said, trying to keep from sounding afraid, though he had a feeling he wasn't being very convincing.

As the man advanced on him, black wings similar to those of a bat's tore through the back of his shirt. He continued forward until Hisoka backed into the bed, then lunged at him, knocking the Shinigami onto the mattress and pinning him down.

"You know, I'm not one for men, but this was a special request from my sister. I'm sure your partner is having a wonderful time with her right now, by the way. She's a succubus, after all, so she's a pro. Don't worry, he won't even realize what's going on until it's too late and he's drawing his last breath."

Hisoka's eyes widened in horror. He knew something had been wrong about that woman, but he hadn't anticipated for her to actually be a demon. "Tsuzuki..."

"Is as good as dead now. In the meantime, I think I'll play around with you a bit. You're feminine enough, and it'd be boring to just kill you."

"Get off of me!" Hisoka sent a powerful wave of energy out, knocking the demon off of him. As he scrambled to get off of the bed and out the door, he was yanked back by his ankle and once again forced underneath the incubus. Before he had time to react, the demon's mouth was pressed against his, and he suddenly found himself getting more and more tired. His energy was quickly being sucked right out of him, and his struggling was getting him nowhere.

The incubus pulled back and smiled. "I can't completely drain you just yet. It's no fun with a limp body."

"Stay...stay away from me! Let go of me!"

"You're too noisy, and I can't stand whining." With a snap of the demon's fingers, a wisp of some sort of dark energy formed at Hisoka's mouth, then wound itself tightly around his head, effectively gagging him.

Too weak to put up much of a resistance, Hisoka could only squirm uselessly as claws tore the fabric of his shirt and hope that Tsuzuki, at least, could get away before it was too late.

The hotel room Miyako led Tsuzuki into was definitely an expensive one. It was no wonder she felt lonely, the place was too big for one person. That certainly couldn't have been helping her feel better about losing her boyfriend.

"Throw your coat anywhere." Miyako said, waving her hand. After Tsuzuki had slunk out of his coat and slipped it on the back of a chair, Miyako sat down at the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her. "Sit." As soon as the Shinigami had sat down, Miyako moved to sit in his lap, her face hovering only inches away from his.

"Finding a man who's both sweet and handsome is rare, you know." She purred, stroking Tsuzuki's cheek. "Actually, I think it's safe to say your sexier than my previous boyfriend, and that's nearly impossible to pull off."

"Ah...um...thanks...I think..." Tsuzuki said, turning away from Miyako. He was getting uncomfortable again, and wondering why he even agreed to come back to the room with her in the first place. Sure, she was pretty and she _seemed_ nice, but that wasn't enough reason to accompany her to her hotel room.

"What's wrong? You seem nervous all of a sudden." Miyako gave a smirk that made her look suddenly evil. "Are you going shy on me?"

Tsuzuki shook his head. "I don't think...I shouldn't be here. This isn't right for several reasons. I need to go."

Miyako made no move to let Tsuzuki up. "Sorry, I can't let you leave. Not now. You're already here, and I never let a man go once I've set my eyes on him. Besides...you'll be changing your mind." Without giving Tsuzuki time to respond, she pulled him closer by his tie and claimed his lips. For a moment, Tsuzuki almost gave in, but his better judgement prevailed. He grabbed Miyako's hand to make her release her grasp on his tie and pulled away from her.

"I'm done here. I'm leaving."

Miyako gave a sinister laugh. "You just don't get it, do you? You aren't leaving unless I want to let you go. And, quite frankly, I don't want you go to anywhere. You're staying right here with me." She pushed Tsuzuki down, held him there and forced her mouth against his again. She managed to hold him there for several seconds before Tsuzuki managed to push her away, panting. "Out of breath already?"

"You...you're not human!"

"That good, huh? I'll take that as a compliment."

Tsuzuki shook his head. "No! You're a demon!" That woman hadn't been just kissing him, she'd been draining his energy away. "You're..." Tsuzuki thought he felt his insides drop as the gravity of the situation he had just gotten himself into struck. "A succubus!"

"I was hoping you wouldn't figure it out until later, it'd be more fun that way, but I guess there's no point in keeping it from you now. Oh well, trying to hide gets annoying." Wings sprouted from Miyako's back as a slender tail snaked around to the front of her, the pointed tip reaching just underneath Tsuzuki's chin. Darkness began to form at Tsuzuki's wrists and ankles, gradually solidifying until they were hard as steel and binding Tsuzuki to the bed.

"You are so very gullible, Tsuzuki Asato. Certainly not worthy of being in such a high position among demons. Your partner was smart, he didn't trust me from the start, did he? Though, I do wonder how smart he is. If he was stupid enough to come try to find you, he's probably dealing with my brother right now."

Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed. "Leave Hisoka out of this! He's not the one you're after!"

The succubus smiled, amused at Tsuzuki's sudden rise in anger at the mention of his partner's doom. "No, but if we leave him alone, he'll interfere. He's gotta go. As do you, my dear, but not before I have a little fun. You're too good to pass up. Don't worry, I promise you'll enjoy it."

The demon's hands went for Tsuzuki's pants, and Tsuzuki struggled to break the bonds around his wrists. It was bad enough that he'd gotten himself into this situation, but knowing that Hisoka was potentially in danger made it much worse. Tsuzuki wasn't about to let his partner suffer for his mistake, especially when Hisoka had been warning him right along. As the succubus yanked Tsuzuki's pants down, the cuffs around his wrists shattered, and an immense wave of energy from the Shinigami sent Miyako flying into the opposite wall, also shattering the cuffs around Tsuzuki's ankles.

Miyako stumbled forward, barely able to stay on her feet. "So much...power..." Still, she wasn't about to give up. She lunged at Tsuzuki, hoping to drain his energy before he could do any more damage to her. Her hands didn't quite reach him, however, before a blast from an ofuda sliced right through her. The demon's scream faded away as her body disintegrated, leaving no traces of her behind.

Wasting no time, Tsuzuki fastened his pants back around his waist and rushed out the door, grabbing his coat on the way out. He quickly made himself invisible, knowing that the noise he caused would have alerted anybody in the rooms nearby and cause an investigation, and he couldn't be seen and questioned.

Reaching into his coat pocket, Tsuzuki pulled out another ofuda and let it fold itself into an origami bird, which then transformed into a living small, white bird. "Find Hisoka!" The bird chirped and flew down the hall, Tsuzuki following right behind it, until it stopped at the last room at the end of the hall, fluttering in front of the door. Tsuzuki blasted the door down, not caring about property damage at this point.

"Mmm mmmmph!" Hisoka's frightened and muffled voice sounded from the other side of the room as Tsuzuki stepped over the threshold. The incubus turned to the doorway.

"You! How did you get here? What happened to my sister?"

"You're sister's dead. Get away from Hisoka." Tsuzuki's tone was deadly, a tone he very rarely used.

"You...killed her?" His look of surprise slowly turned into a sinister grin. "Too bad for you that I'm stronger. Your beloved partner here has no energy left to fight, and I'm sure you're not at your tip-top right now either. I'll drain you down until you're barely conscious, finish the kid then kill you."

Tsuzuki took a step forward. "Come get me, then."

The incubus lunged. Tsuzuki sidestepped, but the demon quickly whirled around, grabbed Tsuzuki by the throat and pushed him against the wall.

"You don't know what you're dealing with, boy."

Tsuzuki slammed his ofuda into the demon's stomach, sending him flying over the bed and crashing into the wall opposite from where he had just been. Hisoka scrambled to get out of the way before the demon hit the wall and fell onto him, barely moving in time. The incubus sat up, but, before he got a chance to do anything else, he was hit once again by Tsuzuki's ofuda, and vanished into the air just like his sister had.

It was silent as the Shinigami watched the demon die. Once he knew the incubus was dead and it was safe, Hisoka gathered up what was left of his clothes. With trembling hands, he pulled his pants back up. His shirt was too torn up to wear, as was his jacket. Tsuzuki, keeping his gaze fixed on anything but his partner, silently handed him his trench coat, which was much too big for the smaller Shinigami, but Hisoka took it anyway. At least it would keep him warm and covered. He tied the coat shut, covering up his curse marks which had flared up when the incubus attacked him, an event that reminded Hisoka all too much of the night Muraki assaulted him.

Still saying nothing, Tsuzuki scooped up Hisoka, made sure he was invisible to the living, and left the room. He listened to the commotion around him as he snuck his way out of the hotel. Once they were outside, Tsuzuki flew back to his and Hisoka's hotel, got to their room, and let Hisoka down on the bed.

"Tsuzuki..."

Tsuzuki sat down and stared at his hands in his lap, not wanting to face his partner. "I'm sorry Hisoka...I'm so sorry...I know that probably means nothing anymore...kind of loses it's meaning when you say it as many times as I have. But I..." He took a shaky breath, trying to keep himself from breaking down. "I didn't mean to...I shouldn't have...I should have listened to you! You kept telling me to stay away, but what did I do? I ignored you and went anyway!"

"Tsuzuki..."

"You'd think I'd learn by now, but here I am, still making stupid mistakes and harming everyone around me!"

"Tsuzuki."

"It's no wonder I can't keep a partner. I never deserved to have you as my partner. You always get hurt because of me!"

"Tsuzuki!"

Having finally gotten Tsuzuki to stop talking, Hisoka continued, "I'm not blaming you. I admit, at first I was pissed, but I realize now it wasn't your fault."

The older Shinigami finally turned to face Hisoka. "Not my fault? How the hell is it not my fault? This entire thing would have been avoided if I'd listened to you in the first place!"

"Yes, it would have, BUT...I'm not sure you could have."

"What do you mean? It was my decision!"

"She was a succubus, right? That's her strength: seducing men. I'm sure she was doing everything in her power to get you to listen to her. Succubi can put men in a sort of trance if they want to, and she was doing everything she could to coerce you into going with her. I probably should have realized it sooner...the change in your emotions. I guess I should apologize too then, I didn't trust you as much as I should have. I'm sorry..."

Tsuzuki shook his head. "Don't apologize to me. I don't deserve it. You have every reason not to trust me."

"You're wrong. I have every reason to trust you more than anyone. I _do _trust you more than anyone, I just... It was so obvious to me that something was wrong with her, I didn't realize how it might not have been to you. I know you'd never do anything on purpose that could end up harming me..."

"But I... I could have gotten you killed. You don't deserve that. I...don't want to lose you. You're the only one who's stuck by me for so long. You've stayed through more of my crap than anybody else has in my 70 plus years of working as a Shinigami. You're too important to me..."

Hisoka reached over to wipe a tear from Tsuzuki's cheek. "But you also came in time to help me. You've saved me more times than I'd like to admit."

Tsuzuki frowned. "You're still trembling." He pulled Hisoka closer and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm sorry, Hisoka. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know...how hard it must be...to have to experience that again..."

"It's not that bad...he didn't get very far before you came." It still scared him, of course, but he knew it could have been much worse. This time, he wasn't doomed to die a slow and painful death. This time, he had somebody to protect him, to comfort him, somebody he knew he was safe around. Hisoka nestled against Tsuzuki, not even bothering to argue that he was fine. He knew that if he just accepted the comfort, he'd get over the incident much quicker. Besides, Tsuzuki needed the comfort as well, and Hisoka knew the physical affections helped Tsuzuki feel better. Hisoka was rattled, but he wasn't going to let it get in his way. He had to get over it and move past it. There were more important things to worry about, like Tsuzuki's life.

"I'm sorry, Hisoka. I'm glad...that you're okay."

"You too."

There was a couple of minutes of silence as the two comforted each other. Hisoka had stopped trembling, and Tsuzuki was feeling a little better, deciding to accept what Hisoka had said and take what happened as a warning to be extremely careful in the future. Once they were both calm, Hisoka pulled back.

"I'm going to take a shower...and by then I'll probably be too tired to work on our report, so I'll do it in the morning."

"Alright. We should call it a night anyway."

Tsuzuki didn't even bother opening up the laptop while Hisoka was in the shower. He knew he wouldn't get far before Hisoka got out, nor did he really feel like starting it. He just wanted a hot shower and a warm bed, so that's just what he was going to get. When Hisoka was done, Tsuzuki took his shower. By the time he got out, Hisoka was already in bed and fast asleep. Luckily, he didn't look like he was having any nightmares. In fact, he looked peaceful, which Tsuzuki was glad to see. It wouldn't surprise him if Hisoka was awoken a few times during the night from nightmares, but he hoped his partner would be able to sleep through the night.

Almost as soon as Tsuzuki's head hit the pillow, he, too, was fast asleep.


	3. Moment of Reprieve

When Tsuzuki awoke the next morning, Hisoka was curled into a ball on the opposite side of the bed, a thin sheet being the only blanket he had. The rest of the blankets were wrapped around Tsuzuki, who had apparently stolen them all in his sleep. Untangling himself from the mass of blankets, Tsuzuki pulled them over to Hisoka, letting them gently fall over him. Usually, Hisoka was awake before him, so Tsuzuki wasn't aware of how easily he apparently snatched all the blankets. No wonder Hisoka hated sharing a bed with him. His partner had complained to him about his snoring before too. They didn't have to sleep in the same bed often, but once in a while they'd get a room with only one bed. While Tsuzuki had been willing to let Hisoka have it and sleep on a couch or set up a makeshift bed on the floor, Hisoka hadn't let him, telling him that he was too old for that and would hurt himself if he tried.

Tsuzuki stretched, got up and got dressed, making sure to be quiet so he wouldn't wake Hisoka. He then made his way to the lobby, grabbed some breakfast, brought it back to the room, and settled at the desk with his breakfast and laptop. He munched a blueberry muffin as the computer booted up, crumbs raining onto his lap unnoticed. Once the laptop was loaded and ready, Tsuzuki put his muffin down, opened up the word processor and started typing. He frowned as the thought about how to word what had happened. Tatsumi and the Chief were probably going to be angry with him, not that he didn't feel he deserved it. While Hisoka had insisted it hadn't been his fault, he still felt he was responsible and hadn't been careful enough. With a sigh, Tsuzuki continued his report. He'd accept whatever criticism and punishment he may get without complaint.

"Tsuzuki?" Hisoka's voice sounded a few minutes later.

Tsuzuki looked over as he heard his name to see Hisoka sitting up in bed, looking over at him. "Oh, you're awake! Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"A little tired, but otherwise fine. Are you already typing up your report, or are you playing games?"

Tsuzuki gave a fake pout. "I'm hurt by your lack of faith in me!"

"You're getting crumbs all over the place."

Looking down at the keyboard, Tsuzuki realized he was indeed getting crumbs all over the place. He brushed off the keyboard, hitting random keys and typing nonsensical words in the process. Hisoka shook his head.

"And now they are all over the floor. I hope you are leaving a nice tip for the maid with all the mess she's going to have to clean up."

Yep, Hisoka was feeling just fine. "There's breakfast in the lobby, you should eat something. You're not skipping breakfast on my watch!"

"Yeah, yeah." Hisoka mumbled, kicking the blankets off himself and getting out of bed. While he got dressed and got something to eat, Tsuzuki continued with the report. Having to think about all of it again, Tsuzuki felt even worse about it all. Just when Hisoka seemed to be able to finally let go of what happened with Muraki when he was 13, he was put through a similar incident and had to experience it all over again. Even if the incubus hadn't gotten far, it must have been terrifying. Tsuzuki hoped Hisoka really was alright and wasn't just pretending.

After Hisoka had finished his breakfast, he took his and Tsuzuki's dishes back to the lobby. Normally, he'd tell Tsuzuki to do it himself, but, since his partner was actually getting work done, he'd decided to do it and let Tsuzuki keep working.

"Need the computer, Hisoka?" Tsuzuki asked after Hisoka had come back.

"Not if you're still using it. You're actually working. This only happens once in a blue moon, I'm not going to interrupt you now."

Tsuzuki couldn't help but smile despite being teased. "Nah, I'm done for now. I got done what I wanted to."

As the older Shinigami moved, the younger took his place and brought up his e-mail. "I want to see if the Gushoshin got back to me yet." Tsuzuki stood beside him, watching as he opened an e-mail from the two librarians. It read:

_Hisoka,_

_ We couldn't find any books or documents on what you requested. We do have other books on demons that you might find useful for combating them, however. We'll gather them for you so you can come and pick them up when you get a chance. In the meantime, we'll keep looking for something that can help you._

_ -The Gushoshin Twins_

Hisoka frowned. There was no information on the demon world? Information on how to combat them was helpful, of course, but that still didn't tell them how the demons were getting into the human world or how they could stop it. "Guess we're still on our own. Think we could interrogate the next demon we find?"

Interrogating a demon didn't sound like it would work very well, but what else could they do? "I guess it's worth a shot. I'm not sure we'll get anything out of it, but it's better than nothing. Any relevant news?"

Browsing through the news on the internet revealed nothing new. There was a short article on the destruction of two unoccupied hotel rooms that was being investigated as well as more information on the attack that had happened the previous day when the demon called out Tsuzuki, but, thankfully, there didn't seem to be any new demon attacks.

"Nothing yet." Hisoka said, closing out the internet browser. "Guess we can go back to Meifu, get the books and come back here."

"Sounds like a plan."

The Gushoshin twins had three books set aside for the pair when they got there. One of them was a huge and rather old encyclopedia on demons, while the other two were slightly smaller books from the living world filled with legends and myths from around the globe. While none of these books had information on the demon realm, the information on individual demons and the different types would be useful, especially since the Shinigami were in a situation in which they hardly had anything to go by and a demon could be lurking amongst the human population unnoticed.

Hisoka was sitting on the hotel bed with all three books opened up in front of him. He sighed, aggravated at the lack of information. "With all the books in the library, you'd think they'd have _something_ about the demon realm. You can't tell me there isn't a single document in all of Meifu that discusses the demon realm."

"Maybe they are restricted."

"But the Gushoshin have access to restricted documents. If that was the case, they could have told us they couldn't give it to us but at least gave us the information from it we needed. What's more important: the confidentiality of a document, or all the lives that are in danger the longer it takes us to solve this case? It's not like we're going to break into the demon realm and wreak havoc."

Tsuzuki frowned. Hisoka was right, the longer they took to solve this case, the more people were going to die. They didn't have time to waste. "Good point. I guess we'll just have to trust the Gushoshin will find something and keep working on our own until then."

The younger Shinigami patted the spot on the bed beside him. "Then get over here and get reading. At least familiarize yourself with the most common demons so you know what to look for. You can turn the news on to keep track of anything that might happen in the meantime."

A couple of hours later and there still had been no mention of any new mysterious attacks or deaths. The Shinigami had spent the time going through the books they had, Hisoka taking notes as he went along and encouraging Tsuzuki to do the same. While the elder had actually studied the entire time, he had reached his limit and decided it was time for a break. He bookmarked his page, closed the book, rolled over onto his back and sat up.

"Hey, Hisoka, let's get lunch, I'm hungry."

Hisoka gave a nod. "Alright, it's been long enough. I'm actually starting to get hungry too." Marking his page, he put the book aside. He was about to grab his jacket when he remembered he no longer had one. "Umm...think we can stop at a clothing store too? I need a new jacket."

"Yeah, sure. We'll find one before lunch."

The two left the hotel and made their way to the nearest clothing store. A few minutes of browsing and Hisoka found himself a new denim jacket. Tsuzuki had insisted upon paying for it, saying it had been his fault the old jacket got ruined to begin with. While Hisoka didn't want Tsuzuki to pay for it, he hadn't wanted to make a fuss in public about it either, so he had instead decided to get even by buying lunch for Tsuzuki. They were on their way to a noodle shop when Hisoka suddenly sensed something nearby that wasn't human.

"Tsuzuki." The empath held out his arm in front of his partner, stopping him.

"What is it?" Tsuzuki asked, becoming alarmed.

"Something's watching us." Hisoka's emerald eyes scanned the area, trying to find something that looked out of place. Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything, so he reached out with his empathy. The first thing he felt - and the strongest - was Tsuzuki's growing worry. Pushing past that, he came into contact with all the emotions of the humans that were surrounding them. Instinct was telling him to pull back, but he resisted the urge to hide behind his mental barriers and continued to sift through everything he was feeling in order to find whatever it was that had caught his attention. Vaguely, just on the edge of his reach, was the presence he was looking for.

"This way."

Without waiting for a response from Tsuzuki, Hisoka made his way to a small alley between buildings. Knowing he could very well be walking into a trap, the Shinigami stepped carefully, keeping completely aware of his surroundings. He noticed Tsuzuki had put a wall around his emotions, something Hisoka was grateful for, as it made feeling for anything else easier.

Then, without warning, something came flying at them from the corner of Hisoka's eye. He immediately threw up a barrier, knowing no humans were around to see him using his ability. There was a clatter as the weapon fell to the cemented ground.

"A knife?" Tsuzuki said, glancing down.

"Keeping your guard up, I see." A voice sounded from down the alley, one that could belong to either gender, but one that sounded familiar to both Shinigami. As a figure stepped out of the shadows, the two instantly recognized who it was.

"Tsukiori Kira?" The two men yelled in unison.

Tsukiori smiled. "Long time no see, Tsuzuki-san, Kurosaki-san."

"But seeing you now can't be good news." Hisoka said, relaxing slightly and drawing his empathy back until he was once again behind his usual mental barriers.

"You're right about that. I'm sure you've already caught on to the fact all these deaths were caused by demons."

Tsuzuki nodded. "Yeah. We've already gotten into a couple battles with them... They are after me, right?"

"Unfortunately. I've been looking for you two ever since the attacks started. Of course, when I finally found you, I had to test you. Glad to see I couldn't hit you."

"You enjoy attacking me with knives, don't you?" Hisoka mumbled, remembering the first time he had met Tsukiori at St. Michael's. She'd tried attacking him in his sleep. While he had managed to avoid being hurt, he did end up resorting to using his powers before he knew she wasn't a normal human, which, of course, Tsukiori had scolded him for.

"Do you know what's going on in the demon world?" Tsuzuki asked, not even having heard Hisoka's comment.

"Yes and no." Tsukiori said. "Why don't we find a nicer place to chat instead of standing here in a dingy alley looking suspicious to any passerby?"

"We were just about to get lunch, actually, so do you want to come with us and we can talk there?"

Tsukiori gave a nod. "Alright, that sounds good."

The three made their way to the noodle shop and ordered their food to go so they could find a less populated area to talk. They decided on an area of the nearby park, which Tsuzuki was happy about. The weather was nice, and, if they hadn't been in the middle of a serious conversation and had more time to relax, Tsuzuki would have insisted that they have a full blown picnic. Since that wasn't the case, however, he had settled with sitting on the grass and eating their noodles.

"So," Tsuzuki began once they had settled down, "do you know what's going on?"

Tsukiori sighed. "You already know what the demons are after. Apparently, Sargantanas' position hasn't been filled since you killed him, Tsuzuki. The high-ranked demons have been trying to be secretive about it to prevent chaos and so nobody knows how disorganized things are, but that doesn't seem to be working well. Originally, they had a competition to see who would claim the spot. There was a whole big tournament and the rule was the last demon standing would succeed Sargantanas. This fell apart, however, when the demon who won was soon killed by another demon a couple of months after, and then the killer died from severe wounds. I don't think anybody has officially held the position since."

"Is it that hard to find a demon to fill it?" Hisoka asked.

"Probably not, but the whole controversy is over Tsuzuki. Ashitarote still wants Tsuzuki to be the Ruler of the Dragons, so he is hesitant to permanently fill the position. There are a few others who also want him there, simply for his power, but there are still quite a few demons who do not believe a human deserves to rule in the demon realm. Then, there are the demons who want the position for themselves, and have finally rallied together to lure you two out in order to kill Tsuzuki."

"They're working together then?"

"Sort of. There are some who are probably working together, and I'm sure all those who don't want a human leader have agreed, but most of them are fighting for the position themselves, so, while they may be working together to a degree, it's still like a big competition to see who can kill Tsuzuki and usurp his position."

Tsuzuki frowned. "So it's one big mess."

"Basically. I'm trying to figure out what demons are in on this and am working to stop them. Unfortunately, there are a bit more than I can handle at once, so it's inevitable that some are going to sneak by me."

"Is it possible for Tsuzuki to just relinquish his position?"

"Even if he could, Ashitarote still wants him, and with power being such a high priority in the demon realm, most demons wouldn't be satisfied with that. They'll want a demon who can kill Tsuzuki to take his position."

"Has this ever happened before? Maybe that could help us figure out what to do." Hisoka asked. He was starting to feel like he was asking too many questions, but he had to if he wanted any answers, and Tsukiori seemed like the best person to ask.

Tsukiori shook her head. "Not that I know of. At least, not since I've been employed. The only things I've dealt with were small, and I don't know of a human ever ruling in the demon realm."

Tsuzuki stared into his half-eaten container of noodles. "I'm sorry. I never meant to start a war."

"Take that back." Hisoka said, glaring over at Tsuzuki. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault, you didn't start anything."

"But-"

"Don't make me beat it out of you, because I will."

Tsukiori chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Tsuzuki. Sargantanas had to be stopped, you did what you had to do."

Hisoka nodded in agreement. "Not your fault that the demon realm can't straighten out their own problems."

"I...guess so..." Tsuzuki mumbled.

"What you need to do right now, Tsuzuki," Tsukiori explained, "is to keep yourself safe. Stay on your guard and continue working on your case. I'll be around, though I think it's best if we stay split up. Do you have a cell phone on you?"

Tsuzuki reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone he used when he was in the living world. The Shinigami had cell phones they used whenever they left Meifu to keep in touch with their partners and whoever else they might need to talk to during a case. "Right here."

"Good!" Tsukiori took his phone and went to his contacts list. "I'll add my number in here, so just give me a call if you need to. This way we can solve this much faster." After saving her number into Tsuzuki's phone and saving his into hers, Tsukiori handed him his phone back and stood up. "I'll keep you updated, let me know if you come across anything important."

"I will!" Tsuzuki said, standing up as well. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem. Be careful, and good luck! Watch out for your partner, Kurosaki."

Hisoka stood and nodded. "I will." Once Tsukiori was gone, he began walking back towards the shops. "Come on, Tsuzuki, we're getting dessert."

The older Shinigami's face lit up as he followed his partner. "Dessert? Really? You never have dessert after lunch."

"I'm not having any, I'm getting it for you."

Tsuzuki grinned and pulled Hisoka into a bear hug. "I have the best partner ever!"

"Ah, Tsuzuki! Let go!" Hisoka protested, trying to fight his way out of Tsuzuki's arms. Just to mess with him, Tsuzuki tightened his grip.

"Nope, I'm not done hugging you yet."

"Cut it out! People are going to give us weird looks!"

"I don't mind. Besides, if they think this is weird, then they need some more hugs themselves."

With an aggravated sigh, Hisoka stopped squirming, deciding to simply wait for Tsuzuki to let him go. A second later, Tsuzuki dropped his arms.

"Okay, I'm done."

Hisoka shook his head at the goofy grin spread across his partner's face. He was happy to see it though, provided Tsuzuki wasn't totally faking it. Given the circumstances, it wouldn't surprise him if Tsuzuki had gone back to hiding behind false happiness. He made a mental note to sift through Tsuzuki's emotions the next time he had an opportunity. Although it felt wrong, in a sense, to invade Tsuzuki's privacy like that, he also felt it was his duty to keep his partner from falling back into depression. It's not like he was going to delve into his mind, just check to make sure Tsuzuki wasn't becoming depressed and trying to hide it. There was no way Hisoka would let him fall as far as he had in Kyoto. No matter what it took, he was going to keep Tsuzuki as happy as he could.

Stopping at an ice-cream parlor, Hisoka let Tsuzuki order one thing off of the menu. He didn't care how many toppings he added to it, as long as it was only one ice cream cone, or one sundae, or whatever it was the sweet-toothed man wanted. He had settled on a banana split. Of course, the largest thing on the menu. As Hisoka paid for it, he had to hold back a grin. How strange this must look, a teenager paying for a man in his 20's to have a banana split, with said man acting more like a kid. Neither of them really did fit their age when it came to certain things. Despite being physically 16, even when he actually was 16, Hisoka's mentality matched that of an older adult, doing almost nothing a typical 16-year-old would do. Tsuzuki, despite being physically 26 and actually over a hundred, acted like a child when he was excited. Or when he was pouting, for that matter. Of course, neither of them had had the lives that a typical person of their ages would have had. But, to everyone around them, they were just a strange pair of people.

"Alright, here's your spoon!" Tsuzuki said, suddenly pushing a spoon at Hisoka as they found small table to sit at outside.

Hisoka simply stared that the plastic utensil. "I told you I wasn't getting anything for myself. It's all yours."

"But I bought it for us to share! I even made sure the scoop of vanilla ice cream didn't have extra toppings for you!"

"But I said-"

Tsuzuki stuck out his lower lip, pouting. "Please? Just a little bit! You have to enjoy something sweet once in a while!"

Hisoka sighed in defeat and took the spoon. "Fine, but I'm only having a few bites."

"Yay!" Tsuzuki smiled and dug into a scoop of chocolate ice cream with caramel, sprinkles and gummy bears on top. "You know, they say you are what you eat. If you had more sugary things once in a while, you wouldn't be so sour all the time! It's why I'm so sweet!"

"Tsuzuki!" If there hadn't been a table between them, Hisoka would have given Tsuzuki a swift whack upside the head. Unfortunately, that darn table made it difficult to reach Tsuzuki without leaning over it and the banana split, so Hisoka settled for glaring across it instead.

Tsuzuki just gave his characteristic silly grin and took another large bite of the banana split. "Don't just sit there, have some!"

Just to make Tsuzuki stop pestering him, Hisoka dug his spoon into the vanilla ice cream, scooping up a bite that was far larger than what he'd normally take and stuffed it in his mouth. He quickly regretted that, however, as the sudden large amount of ice cream had given him a brain freeze. As he rose one hand up to his forehead, Tsuzuki laughed. It wasn't a hollow, forced laugh either. It was an honest, hearty laugh.

"What's the matter, brain freeze?"

"Shut up." Hisoka said, though his scowl had dissolved. He took a smaller bite, which, this time, didn't result in any head pain. There was silence for a moment as the two ate their ice cream. Hisoka had to break it, however, as he looked up and saw spot of caramel on Tsuzuki's nose. "Tsuzuki, you have caramel on your nose."

"I do?" The older Shinigami went cross-eyed as he tried to see the caramel on his nose. If he hadn't been so distracted with his nose, he might have seen Hisoka's lips twitch upwards into a small smile. Instead, he stuck his tongue out up towards his nose, trying to lick the caramel off of himself. The absurdity of a 26-year-old man trying to lick caramel off of his nose coupled with the determined look on Tsuzuki's face elicited a laugh from Hisoka, at which Tsuzuki totally forgot about the caramel on his nose and fixed his gaze to stare at Hisoka.

"You laughed!" Tsuzuki proclaimed after an overly-dramatic gasp.

"Oh, come on, you should have seen the look on your face."

Tsuzuki smiled. "If that gets you to laugh, I should do it more often. You don't laugh often enough. A person has to laugh a certain amount in order to be healthy, you know. Haven't you ever heard 'laughter is the best medicine'?"

"Oh, gee, forgive me for being sour and not laughing enough." Hisoka said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It's okay, I forgive you! Besides, you aren't completely sour. You're more like...a sour patch kid! A thin layer of sour on the outside, but nice and sweet on the inside." Tsuzuki said with a wink.

Hisoka felt himself blush. "Don't compare to me candy."

"Alright, alright. Seriously though, you should laugh more often. Just let loose a little, have a good time, it's good for you. Besides, I like it when you laugh."

The younger Shinigami had a feeling his face had just gotten redder. "Idiot." He mumbled and took another bite of the ice cream, as if the cold snack would cool his cheeks.

Silence descended once again as the two finished the banana split. It was a content sort of silence, not quite so awkward as it usually felt. Hisoka had his gaze mostly fixed on the ice cream in front of him, thinking about what Tsukiori had told them and how it was going to affect Tsuzuki. Everything seemed to be okay so far, he just hoped it would stay that way. When he looked up, Tsuzuki's purple eyes were fixed on him, his elbow propped up on the table and his chin resting in his hand, a small smile on his face.

"What?" Hisoka asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Tsuzuki's expression almost looked admiring, which wasn't a look Hisoka was used to getting.

"Nothing." Tsuzuki said, sitting up. He hadn't realized he'd been staring until Hisoka had said something, and he certainly didn't want to make Hisoka feel awkward. "Are you done? No rush if you're not, of course."

Hisoka nodded. "Yeah, I'm done."

The two got up, threw our their garbage, and started for their hotel to continue their research and figure out what to do next. With the information they got from Tsukiori, they would be able to plan a bit more.

"Hey, Hisoka?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

Hisoka looked over at Tsuzuki. "For what?"

"For dessert. It was nice...I needed that. We don't..." He stopped, trying to figure out how to word his sentence to get his point across without sounding weird. "We don't get to spend enough time like that. I mean, sure, we've had vacations and break time, but we don't really get to relax together otherwise. We're either working or we're stressed and tired. It's...ahhhh." He gave an aggravated sigh, realizing he was probably confusing Hisoka and making it far more awkward than it had to be. "I like spending time with you and us both having fun with it. Get what I mean?"

"Oh...um...yeah, I know what you mean." Hisoka said honestly. Seeing Tsuzuki having a good time despite the current situation was nice, and being able to relax and laugh like that was something Hisoka really hadn't experienced much at all. Spending time with Tsuzuki just for a break really was enjoyable.

Tsuzuki smiled. "We'll have to do it again sometime soon, hm? I think we'll both need it if this case gets as complicated as I think it will."

"Yeah..." Of course, he didn't want the case to be trying, but Hisoka had to agree with Tsuzuki. It sounded like things would only get more difficult, and Tsuzuki was easily emotionally damaged. At least, though, from what Hisoka could gather, Tsuzuki was acknowledging the fact this might be hard on him, which would probably help him recover from it that much faster. He must be asking for Hisoka's help as well, then. Tsuzuki was counting on Hisoka giving him those moments of peace, however silly or short-lived. It would help keep the both of them sane.

Another rather strange thought suddenly crossed Hisoka's mind. Had Tsuzuki just, in a roundabout way, asked him out? Whether that was his intention or not, thinking about it, that is what it sounded like. Hisoka pushed that thought aside, not sure why he had even thought it in the first place. Of course Tsuzuki wasn't asking him on a date, he was just looking out for their mental health. Calling it a date would be ridiculous. They were work partners who happened to also be close friends. Very close friends. And Tsuzuki just happened to be the single most important person to Hisoka, and Hisoka just happened to remain by Tsuzuki's side. Surely that's what it was like with best friends. Not that he had ever had somebody to call a best friend before Tsuzuki, but that's what he guessed it was like. It wasn't like they went around holding hands and cuddling all the time, even if Tsuzuki was really nice to cuddle up to when Hisoka was feeling his worst. He was actually rather handsome too, and Hisoka didn't otherwise consider the physical appearance of other men, or women, for that matter, since physical appearance mattered little when one could feel a person's emotions, which could be a quick turn-off from even the most physically beautiful people.

"Hellooo, earth to Hisoka. Come in, Hisoka."

Hisoka snapped out of his mental rambling. "Huh? What is it?"

"Nothing, you just started zoning out. Something on your mind?"

"Just the case." Hisoka lied. As if he would ever tell Tsuzuki he'd zoned out because he'd been thinking about the elder Shinigami.

"Oh." Tsuzuki sighed, and Hisoka felt his mood drop, making him wish he hadn't said anything. "I want to find a way to fight the demons that are after me without them harming other people."

Typical Tsuzuki. Even after knowing him for several years, Hisoka was still amazed at how self-sacrificing he was. He was always trying to help others, even if it meant putting himself in danger. Hisoka had witnessed that first hand in their first case together. That action had been the main reason Hisoka stuck with Tsuzuki afterwards, despite his initial desire to be partnered with somebody more competent (of course, Tsuzuki had since proved he was plenty competent when he wanted to be). "You are fighting for your life, but you still think of everyone else first. You never cease to amaze me, you know that?"

"Well, I can't just-"

"I know," Hisoka interrupted, not letting Tsuzuki finish his sentence, "I know, but most other people would be worrying about themselves first. Hell, most other people probably wouldn't even worry about anybody else."

Tsuzuki sighed, but didn't argue; he didn't want to upset Hisoka and bring the mood down. While he was kind of happy that Hisoka thought well of him, he also didn't want Hisoka to think very highly of him. If his partner knew things that he had done in the past...Hisoka probably wouldn't think so highly of him, and Tsuzuki really didn't want to disappoint him. Tsuzuki avoided thinking about that, however, as he didn't want Hisoka to pick up on anything negative. After his partner's attempts to cheer him up, it would probably hurt Hisoka to think it didn't work well.

"Hey, Tsuzuki, we'll do our best." Hisoka said after Tsuzuki's brief silence. "We'll think of something. Remember what I told you before: It's not your fault."

"I know, I know, but I still want to protect as many people as I can."

"Like I said, _we'll_ do our best." Hisoka said, stressing the plural to remind Tsuzuki that they were both in this, and Hisoka had every intention of helping Tsuzuki. He hoped that he was keeping Tsuzuki at least somewhat optimistic. Though he never was really good at cheering people up, he was trying. He could tell Tsuzuki was trying too, trying not to blame himself for everything and trying to keep himself from being depressed. It was an improvement, at least. "Come on, let's go back to the hotel and put together what we know so far, then we can figure out what to do next."

* * *

_Author's Note: This chapter was a bit less eventful than the first two, but I wanted to give Tsuzuki and Hisoka a break, and I am also hoping to show their slowly developing relationship. While it's not meant to be a romance fanfiction, the strength of their bond does play a role. Thanks to my readers so far, and, as always, your reviews are greatly appreciated!_


	4. Anxiety

The intense heat of the flames could be felt even at a distance. The fire was huge- it already engulfed most of the building, and it showed no signs of slowing. Luckily, it was after hours, so no workers were left inside. News of a sudden fire after hours, however, had arisen suspicion in Tsuzuki and Hisoka, who believed it could be another demon calling them out. Tsuzuki's suspicions were confirmed as they approached the burning building.

"Hisoka, wait." Tsuzuki said, holding out his arm to stop his partner from taking another step forward. "Those aren't normal flames. Feel how hot they are, even from here?"

"A demon, then?"

"Has to be. These flames...they are almost as powerful as Touda's. Be careful, Hisoka, they could cause severe damage...possibly even kill us if we're exposed long enough."

Hisoka gave a nod. If anybody knew about Touda's flames, it was Tsuzuki. While this fire wasn't black like Touda's, it did seem to be a deeper color than what normal fire would be, and it was definitely hotter. The very idea of the fire being similar to Touda's, however, brought about disturbing memories of those flames, Tsuzuki sitting in the middle of them, waiting for them to engulf him...

Hisoka quickly banished those thoughts. This wasn't the time for that. If Tsuzuki had thought the same thing, he wasn't showing it.

"Alright, let's go." Tsuzuki said, slowly making his way closer to the burning building while keeping himself a step ahead of Hisoka. It was a habit he had whenever they were in danger, his desire to protect always keeping him between his partner and the danger should he need to shield Hisoka from any sort of attack. The constant protection aggravated Hisoka at times. He didn't need somebody to be constantly looking after him, and he wanted to prove he could protect himself and fight on his own. At the same time, he appreciated it; it was comforting to know Tsuzuki cared enough to want to protect him no matter what. Besides, it wasn't like Tsuzuki didn't allow him to fight. They could make quite a team.

As they walked, Hisoka reached out with his empathy, trying to sense whatever demon or demons may be there. It wasn't long before he felt a malicious presence. The demon was definitely there, and it was beckoning them. It was so strong, Hisoka recoiled from the presence almost as soon as he felt it, drawing his senses back in.

"Tsuzuki." Hisoka grabbed the sleeve of his partner's jacket (which, he thought, Tsuzuki must have been boiling in), "It's waiting for us. I can feel one demon, in the center of the building."

"The center?" Tsuzuki looked ahead into the flames. There was no way they'd be able to walk through that. There was no safe pathway. By the time they reached the demon, they would have already been burned half to death. Finding no other way than to coax the demon out, Tsuzuki decided to call for it, "We're here! Come out!"

A thunderous roar answered Tsuzuki's call. Feeling the demon quickly approaching, Hisoka grabbed Tsuzuki's hand, yanking the older Shinigami with him as he ran to one side. They narrowly avoided being run over by a huge, red, serpentine dragon. It whipped around to face them, the movement from its massive body causing a gust of wind. Two orange eyes glared at the pair of Shinigami.

"Tsuzuki Asato." A deep, grumbling voice echoed from the dragon. It gave another roar before taking to the air. Its mouth opened wide. Tsuzuki quickly pulled an ofuda from his pocket, holding it out in front of him. A dome shield appeared around the pair just as a blast of fire erupted from the dragon's mouth. Tsuzuki flinched as the blast hit the shield, having to pour extra energy into it to prevent it from shattering. With another roar, the demon flew overhead, away from the Shinigami.

"Where is it going?" Hisoka asked, watching it fly away from them.

"Come on, we have to follow it!" Tsuzuki lowered the shield and leapt up, flying above the burning building. When Hisoka caught up, the two chased after the dragon. The sounds of sirens wailed in the air, firetrucks arriving at the scene as the Shinigami flew away.

"It's avoiding humans." Hisoka said, answering his own previous question.

"It must be trying to avoid breaking any rules by attacking humans. That would explain why it chose a building after hours."

"Then this one is smarter than the first we encountered. He knows what he's doing, which could also mean he's leading us right into a trap."

"Possibly, but if we don't follow, it could very well decide to kill somebody to get our attention."

The dragon led them far, not stopping until it reached a forested area. It turned around just as Tsuzuki and Hisoka approached. Without warning, it fired at them again. The two Shinigami dropped down just in time. Tsuzuki landed on the ground, ready to summon a Shikigami to help. As he began calling one forth in a low, quick voice, Hisoka threw up a barrier around them, blocking another stream of fire from hitting them while Tsuzuki was vulnerable.

"Come forth, Souryuu!" Tsuzuki yelled, finally finishing the summons. There was a mighty roar as the blue dragon appeared behind Tsuzuki, flying up into the sky until he was level with the demon. The red dragon growled, but seemed no less inclined to attack.

The two dragons fought, Tsuzuki keeping his concentration on the battle, carefully watching the serpentine dragon and keeping focused to maintain his summon. The two dragons seemed to be evenly matched, something that surprised Hisoka, as he knew how powerful Souryuu was. He felt useless standing there, watching the dragons battle. It reminded him why he wanted his own Shikigami to begin with, then he remembered he had one.

Ever since attaining Kurikara, Hisoka hadn't actually summoned him. There had been no need. They hadn't had any very powerful opponents since the trip to Gensokai, and Tsuzuki had always summoned a Shikigami when they needed one. Now, however, it looked like Tsuzuki needed the help. Hisoka knew Souryuu was still sour towards Kurikara, but, with both Shikigami here under their Shinigami's control, Hisoka didn't think there should be any problems.

"Tsuzuki, I'll help! I'll summon Kurikara."

Tsuzuki suddenly turned to Hisoka, looking alarmed. "No!"

Hisoka stopped and stared at Tsuzuki. "Why not?"

"I've got it under control, Hisoka. Focus on defense."

"But, Tsuzuki, Souryuu could use the help. I didn't get a Shikigami to just stand here and watch you fight all the time!"

"Hisoka, please, just let Souryuu handle it. He's got it." Tsuzuki looked Hisoka in the eye, determined not to have his partner summon his Shikigami. While he wasn't about to say it, Tsuzuki was honestly afraid of Hisoka trying to summon Kurikara. While he had been able to tame the mighty dragon- and just barely- Tsuzuki still feared Hisoka would have a hard time controlling him once summoned, and didn't want him to be harmed. He knew Hisoka would hate him for thinking that, hate him for thinking he wasn't strong enough. It wasn't that Tsuzuki didn't think Hisoka was strong, but that Kurikara was too strong, and summoning him in the midst of a dangerous battle like this seemed too much.

"Tsuzuki!" Souyruu suddenly yelled.

The Shinigami turned his gaze back to the battle just in time to see a stream of fire coming his way. An instant later, a searing pain shot through Tsuzuki's left shoulder as well as the top part of his arm and part of his side. Souryuu attacked the demon in retaliation, but the red dragon dodged it, instead flying right for Tsuzuki. Hisoka quickly got between the two, throwing up a shield to protect Tsuzuki. The demon rammed into the shield, shattering it. Sharp claws dug into Hisoka's abdomen, slicing their way through as the dragon flew by, the creature's body simultaneously colliding with the Shinigami's chest, knocking him back. Hisoka, having been knocked away at an angle, flew past Tsuzuki and slammed into a tree.

As soon as the demon turned to attack Tsuzuki, Souyruu rammed into it, bringing the two dragons crashing to the ground. Before the red one had time to retaliate, Souyruu's jaw clamped down on its neck, the blue dragon's arms holding the flailing dragon in place. After much thrashing about, the demon finally managed to wriggle free. Heavily injured, it retreated, quickly flying off into the distance, leaving the Shinigami in the burning forest.

Tsuzuki, for the moment, decided to let the demon go, more worried about Hisoka and the quickly burning forest. If this fire spread, it could cause massive damage. "Souryuu, can you put this fire out?"

The Shikigami doused the flames before the fire got any bigger. After thanking his Shikigami, Tsuzuki dismissed him and turned his attention to his partner, who was lying on the ground in front of the tree, unconscious.

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki called, putting a hand on the younger Shinigami's shoulder in attempt to wake him up. When his partner didn't respond, Tsuzuki gently rolled him onto his back, intending to pick him up. Just as Tsuzuki was about to slide his arms underneath him, Hisoka stirred.

"Tsuzuki?" He moved to sit up, an action he quickly regretted as he reopened the gashes the dragon had left in him. He hissed in pain and leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

"Don't move." Tsuzuki instructed and looked down at the injury. The front of Hisoka's shirt was soaked in blood. Though Tsuzuki couldn't see just how bad the wound was, judging from the amount of blood and fact it was taking Hisoka extra time to heal, he assumed it was deep. "I'm going to pick you up. Try not to move until we get back and you're healed enough."

As Tsuzuki reached out his arms to lift him, Hisoka noticed the burn covering his partner's left shoulder, part of his arm and side. The clothing there had been incinerated, and Tsuzuki's skin had suffered what looked like third degree burns.

"Ts-Tsuzuki! Your arm!"

Tsuzuki glanced at his burnt shoulder, having momentarily forgotten he himself was injured. "Oh, don't worry about that. It'll heal."

Hisoka shook his head and gently pushed Tsuzuki's hands away. "You're not going to even think about picking me up before that burn is healed. Let me heal it."

"No, you need to save your energy for yourself, I'll be fine."

Hisoka's gaze hardened. "I am not letting you touch me until you're healed. I don't care if we have to sit out here all night. My injury is far less serious than yours. You yourself said those flames were dangerous to us. Mine will heal fast enough, it's just a cut, but yours is going to take a lot longer, and it'll be a lot more painful if it has to heal without my help."

"But-"

"Asato Tsuzuki! Sit your ass down and let me heal you!"

At that outburst, Tsuzuki finally decided to comply and sat down beside Hisoka. With Hisoka's stubbornness, Tsuzuki knew that he actually would sit out there all night, and any arguments from Tsuzuki would be dismissed. Hisoka carefully turned to face Tsuzuki, held his hands near the burn, and began healing.

Tsuzuki hissed and bit his lip. Healing usually wasn't too painful, but with burns like this, the nerves had to be healed, and, once they were functioning again, he could feel the pain from the burns. With Hisoka's help, the wound was healed rather quickly. It definitely would have hurt more if it had to heal on its own.

"There." Hisoka said, dropping his arms. The burns were now mere red spots, something that Tsuzuki would heal from on his own quickly.

"Thanks, Hisoka." The elder Shinigami stood up, his wounds feeling much better, and returned to what he was doing before Hisoka had demanded he be healed. Sliding one arm behind Hisoka's back and the other underneath his knees, he gently lifted his partner into his arms.

"I can walk, you know." Hisoka said, embarrassed at being carried, despite the fact it was something he knew Tsuzuki had done several times in the past for him.

Tsuzuki just smiled. "Perhaps you can, but I'm carrying you anyway. Make sure you stay invisible; we don't need anybody asking what happened when they see us." After the two became invisible to humans, Tsuzuki made his way back to the hotel. They stayed silent- both too preoccupied with their own thoughts to have a discussion. By the time they were back in their room, Hisoka had nearly fallen asleep in Tsuzuki's arms.

"Hey, are you still awake?"

"Mmm." Was all the reply that Hisoka gave. He yawned as he was set down.

"I think it's time for bed, you look exhausted."

"Yeah, after I wash up." With that, the young Shinigami got up, gathered his pajamas, and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. His injury had already healed to the point that the gashes had become mere cuts, certainly nothing debilitating.

Thinking about what had happened as he bathed, a couple of things bothered Hisoka. One of them was the fact the dragon hadn't been defeated and was able to escape. The second, and the one that bothered him even more, was the fact Tsuzuki had outright told Hisoka _not_ to summon Kurikara, when they had clearly needed the help. What good was having a Shikigami if he couldn't use it? He hadn't gone through one of the worst experiences of his existence for nothing. If he had been able to summon Kurikara, the demon wouldn't have gotten away, and they probably wouldn't have sustained so much damage. While they were alright now, having had to go through the pain wasn't necessary. Kurikara was tamed and under his command now, so why was Tsuzuki still so insistent on not letting Hisoka use the mighty dragon's powers? Had he not already proved himself worthy simply by taming the one Shikigami even Tsuzuki couldn't tame? Tsuzuki wasn't the jealous type; on the contrary, he had been ecstatic when Hisoka had passed Kurikara's test. He remembered feeling how proud Tsuzuki was of him. His partner had been as proud of him as he had been of himself. So, if he had been so proud, why did he say no? Hisoka knew Tsuzuki had a strong desire to protect him and keep him out of battle as much as possible, but was he that stubborn about it that he wouldn't accept help even when they needed it?

Hisoka sighed, realizing he wasn't getting anywhere thinking about it. Tsuzuki was hiding something, and the only way to find out would be to confront him about it. The thought of discussing it at this time wasn't very appealing, however. Between the battle, healing Tsuzuki, and then healing himself, Hisoka was drained and ready for a good night's sleep. The thought would probably bother him until he fell asleep (if it didn't keep him awake), but did he really want to get into that when he was so tired?

His dilemma was solved once he exited the bathroom and found Tsuzuki already in his pajamas and in bed, fast asleep. With another sigh, Hisoka crawled in beside him, thankful Tsuzuki had fallen asleep on only one side and wasn't sprawled out in the middle of the bed like he sometimes tended to do. Settling on the fact he'd have to bring up the issue in the morning, Hisoka willed himself to stop thinking about it. Eventually, his fatigue got the better of him, pulling him into unconsciousness.

-oooooooooooooo-

"Hey, Tsuzuki?" Hisoka asked the next morning just as Tsuzuki was finishing his breakfast.

"Yeah?"

"Why wouldn't you let me summon Kurikara?"

Tsuzuki was silent for a moment. He hadn't expected Hisoka to ask about it, and he had been hoping he wouldn't have to explain. "You mean from the battle yesterday?"

Hisoka glared. "Don't play stupid, just answer the question."

"I had it under control."

"You're lying. That's not why you told me not to summon him. You could have used the help and you know it. The demon got away when we could have killed it."

"It got away because I was distracted, not because we needed Kurikara."

Hisoka slammed his hand on the table. "Stop avoiding my question! Why won't you let me summon Kurikara?"

Tsuzuki stared down at his lap. He knew he couldn't keep lying to the empath, and yet he had tried anyway, and now Hisoka was ticked at him.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Hisoka..." The elder Shinigami spoke in a low voice, keeping his eyes fixed on his own hands rather than his partner, "I just...I figured if I could handle it by myself, you wouldn't have to summon Kurikara. I'm scared of what could happen. Kurikara's so powerful, and he wouldn't hesitate to turn on you if he deemed you unworthy."

"That's it? You are scared I can't control him?" Hisoka's hands clenched into fists. "You don't think I'm strong enough. You don't believe in my powers."

Tsuzuki looked up. "No, Hisoka, that's not-"

"What, that's not it? If it's not because you don't think I'm strong enough, then you wouldn't be worried about me using his power? I know how powerful he is, Tsuzuki, I had to recover from his attack the first time I challenged him. I know full well how strong he is. But, in case you forgot, I also tamed him. I got through one of the most difficult ordeals I've ever had so that I could have him as my Shikigami! Do you know why? Because I was sick of being useless! I was sick of standing around while you fought, I was sick of being powerless! And, now that I finally have something to fight with, you won't let me use it! Well, guess what, Tsuzuki? Just because _you_ couldn't tame him doesn't mean nobody else is allowed to use him!"

Hisoka's outburst stunned Tsuzuki into silence. The rage his partner felt towards him hurt, and he didn't know how to respond. Sure, he'd aggravated Hisoka plenty of times before, but never to this degree. The young Shinigami could be cold, but he'd never snapped on Tsuzuki like that before.

When Tsuzuki said nothing, Hisoka shook his head. "Know what? If that's how it is, then you can fight alone, just like you want." With that, the younger Shinigami turned his back to his partner and opened the door to their room.

"Hisoka, wait!" Tsuzuki finally called, but Hisoka didn't even look back, slamming the door behind him.

A heavy silence fell, the only sounds being footsteps as people walked by the room in the hall. Tsuzuki stared at the door, not wanting to believe what had just happened. He screwed up again. He'd actually driven Hisoka to storm out on him. After they had come so far, had he just unknowingly severed any relationship they had?

It shouldn't have hurt so much. Tsuzuki should have been used to partners walking out on him by now. He'd gone through enough of them, and yet the idea of losing Hisoka hurt more than any of them. Of course, he was always upset when he drove a partner away, and he'd been quite depressed when Tatsumi had ended their partnership, but pushing Hisoka away, of all people, felt like the worst thing he could possibly do. He'd made it his goal ever since they had become partners to protect Hisoka, to give him the friendship he never had, to give him the love his family had denied him. He deserved as much.

But, of course, being who he was, he'd finally pushed Hisoka away. It was a wonder how it had taken so long for it to even happen. Part of him had been waiting for it, and yet, an even bigger part of him was absolutely crushed by it. After everything the pair had been through, Tsuzuki had begun to hope he wouldn't mess this one up. Hisoka had come such a long way with his relationships, and they'd been steadily getting closer, leaving Tsuzuki to believe their partnership would actually last. It wasn't even just a partnership- they had developed a strong friendship outside of work as well. But now, here he was, sitting alone, Hisoka's words ringing in his mind.

"_You can fight alone, just like you want."_

It wasn't what he wanted. It wasn't what he wanted at all. He wanted to protect Hisoka from harm, but he wanted him by his side during battle as well. He wanted Hisoka to feel pride in his own accomplishments, to be the powerful Shinigami that he wanted to be, but instead, he'd taken that all away because of his own foolish fears. He didn't think there was a worse insult he could have given his partner.

Tsuzuki bit his lip, trying to hold back the tears stinging his eyes. He despised himself for doing such a thing. Angry at his own actions, he slammed his fist into the wall, then collapsed on the hotel bed. He didn't know if Hisoka was going to come back, and he wondered if he should just accept the fact he would have to finish the case alone, but he still couldn't let go of the small possibility his partner would return. So, he would wait, and hope that Hisoka would come back and accept his apology.

-ooooooooooooo-

After an unknown amount of time, Hisoka finally stopped walking. He was standing in the middle of the park he, Tsuzuki and Tsukiori had been at only a day before. There had been a sense of peace that day, despite the disturbing facts about their case that had come up. Hisoka remembered knowing how hard it would be on Tsuzuki, and how determined he was to help him and cheer him up as much as he possibly could. Now, it was the complete opposite. Instead of being there for Tsuzuki and helping him, he'd snapped at him then proceeded to walk out on him.

With an aggravated sigh, Hisoka fell onto a park bench. He propped his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. He still believed he had the right to be angry with Tsuzuki, but he didn't think he had reacted in quite the right way. Yelling at and condescending, refusing to listen to, and then walking out on his partner had been an immature thing to do. It was something he would have done when he first became a Shinigami, but he was supposed to be more mature than that now. Just because he was stuck physically at 16 did not mean he had to be stuck there mentally. Age-wise, he was an adult now, so why wasn't he acting like one?

The empath felt a pang of guilt as he thought about what he'd said. He knew he had hurt Tsuzuki with his sharp tongue, and, at the time, it didn't matter. Now that he had cooled down a little, however, he realized just how cruel his words were. He had felt the emotional wound he had inflicted upon his partner. He had made Tsuzuki feel the exact emotions he had been trying to pull his partner out of. He had been succeeding too, but now all those efforts had gone to waste due to his own short temper.

Despite being so aggravated with Tsuzuki, Hisoka knew he couldn't actually leave Tsuzuki to deal with the rest of this alone. It would be too much for him to handle, and he'd snap if he had nobody else there for him. Hisoka knew Tsuzuki needed him. He had to cool down, swallow his pride and apologize for his outburst. Hopefully, he could have a normal conversation about the issue without getting so angry.

After taking a deep breath to further calm himself, Hisoka stood up and began making his way back to the hotel. Once he got back to their room, he realized that he hadn't taken his key with him. Slightly embarrassed, he knocked. He could tell Tsuzuki was still in the room- he could sense his partner's depressed mood. Almost as soon as he had knocked, the door opened.

"Hisoka! You're back!"

Hisoka simply nodded and stepped over the threshold as Tsuzuki moved out of the way to let him in.

"Hisoka, I'm so sorry!" Tsuzuki began as soon as he had closed the door, "I really didn't mean to upset you, I just-"

Before Tsuzuki could get any farther, Hisoka held up his hand, signaling him to stop. "Tsuzuki...I- um...I didn't mean to yell at you like that...I'm sorry..."

"But, Hisoka, I shouldn't have-"

"Let me finish." Hisoka said, giving Tsuzuki a look that effectively silenced him. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, but I want to talk to you about Kurikara. Sit." Hisoka took a seat on the edge of the bed, and Tsuzuki followed suit. For a moment, Hisoka simply sat there, fidgeting his fingers while trying to figure out what to say. While he was good at sensing the emotions of others, he always had difficulty expressing his own. He was quick to resort to anger, especially if he didn't know how else to react, which was what had gotten him into this problem in the first place.

"Tsuzuki, I need you to let me summon Kurikara." Hisoka finally said, getting straight to the point. "I am going to summon him, but it's going to be a problem if you are going to try to stop me every time. I got a Shikigami so I could help fight, not so I could stand there and watch you fight."

"I know, I just..." Tsuzuki sighed, hoping he could word his explanation in a way that wouldn't insult Hisoka, "Kurikara's very powerful, and I'm scared of something going wrong and you getting hurt because of it. He's a Shikigami that definitely could kill a Shinigami. I know you're strong- you've done what nobody else has been able to by taming Kurikara- but things can go wrong. If you're facing an opponent that can take advantage of your empathy, you could lose your ability to focus on the summons and lose control of Kurikara. I...I don't want to see you get hurt, and I don't know if I could control Kurikara if something like that happened..."

Hisoka thought about what Tsuzuki said. As much as he hated to admit it, his partner was right. If, for whatever reason, his empathy was overloaded, he wouldn't be able to focus on Kurikara, and he wouldn't put it past the mighty dragon to turn on him if he deemed Hisoka unworthy. They didn't yet share the same bond Tsuzuki shared with all of his Shikigami. Still, he wasn't going to just not summon Kurikara because of that.

"That may be so, but, Tsuzuki, I'll never be able to summon him if I don't try. I _want_ to fight. I don't want you to have to do it all. Besides, even if something happened, I know I'll be alright..." Hisoka's voice lowered slightly and his cheeks turned pink, "Because you are always able to protect me..."

Tsuzuki smiled and ruffled Hisoka's hair. "I suppose you're right. Can't learn how to work with him if you don't summon him, eh? Just...be careful."

"I will."

There was an awkward silence. Hisoka felt like there was something else he should say, but he didn't know what. Tsuzuki was on the verge of telling Hisoka how important the young empath was to him, but decided against it. He didn't want to scare his partner by telling him just how much the thought of losing him scared him. There was a chance Hisoka would just dismiss it as Tsuzuki being his normal, caring self, but Tsuzuki himself knew he felt a stronger connection to Hisoka than any of his previous partners, Tatsumi included. He'd always cared about Hisoka, and he'd always wanted to protect Hisoka like he had all his other partners, but there was undeniably something deeper than that. Tsuzuki was beginning to believe that he loved Hisoka more than he should.

Of course, he wasn't going to actually tell Hisoka this. Not yet. He wouldn't ruin their growing connection by revealing something like that. Hisoka needed a lot of time to build trust, and, from the beginning, Tsuzuki had decided they'd build their partnership at Hisoka's pace. They had already gotten closer than Tsuzuki would have expected, but he didn't expect it to get any further than what they were at, and he was okay with that, because, even if Tsuzuki loved him as more than just a close friend, keeping things the way they were was so much better than making Hisoka uncomfortable by trying to get closer. Just being as they were now made Tsuzuki happy.

"We're going to have to find that demon again." Tsuzuki said, breaking the silence and effectively changing the subject.

Hisoka gave a nod, glad for the change of subject. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll lure us in again as soon as he's recovered. We'll have to be on the lookout for any fires."

Tsuzuki sighed. Though he didn't say anything, Hisoka knew what he was thinking. He wanted to apologize for letting the demon get away, but wouldn't say it because he knew it would aggravate Hisoka, which also aggravated Hisoka. He hated when Tsuzuki wouldn't tell him things that were clearly upsetting him.

"We can't do anything about it right now anyway. I'm going to see if the Gushoshin have anymore information for us, then we can look for some more leads."

With that, Hisoka turned on the laptop and brought up his e-mail. Seeing he had a message from the twins, he opened it.

"Tsuzuki." Hisoka waved his partner over. "The Gushoshin found something."

_Kurosaki and Tsuzuki,_

_We have been looking for information on the Demon Realm, and found a document that might interest you. While we cannot send you the entire document, I can give you some information we gleaned from it._

_Part of the reason the Demon Realm is sealed off from the Realm of the Living and the Realm of the Dead is to prevent demons from invading the Realm of the Living and causing chaos. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, as the Demon Realm has their own set of rules that prevent this from happening. From what we can gather, however, it seems there was an instance of demons breaking rules in the Realm of the Living over a hundred years ago that led to more powerful seals being placed upon the Demon Realm._

_We are sorry we can't give further details, as that is going into classified information that we are not allowed to give out, but we hope this will be of some assistance to you._

_Sincerely,_

_The Gushoshin Twins._

"So it has happened before..." Tsuzuki muttered, reading over the letter a second time.

"But why is it so difficult for us to get information about it? Even the Gushoshin had a hard time finding it, and then they can't give us any details at all."

"Well, we aren't allowed to know about the details of the seals. Only a select few Shinigami know how to get access to the Demon Realm, like Tsukiori. The rest of the document was probably about the seals."

Hisoka shook his head. "There has to be more than that. If demons attacked the Realm of the Living before, there would be information on it. Also, if demons are breaking through the seals that are supposedly set in place to keep them from leaving the Demon Realm, they must have more information. They know something that we don't. Even Tsukiori said she didn't know of anything like this happening before, and she has connections to the Demon Realm."

"But she's also a freelancer. She isn't going to get confidential information when she doesn't belong to any particular area of JuOhCho."

"I guess so, but this whole thing is still weird to me. We've always gotten the information we've needed before, but now they won't give us any? This case is more dangerous than most we've been on! We are actually the targets this time, and they won't even give us enough information to help us solve this case?"

"Let's get a report in to the Chief. We haven't given them much information on what we've found yet. Maybe once they know what's going on, they'll be able to get us some more information."

Hisoka sighed in aggravation. "Alright. We'll work on our reports and keep an eye out for any leads in the meantime. I work faster than you, let me type up the report and you can continue research."

Tsuzuki nodded and left Hisoka to the report. He turned on the television to follow the news while he continued reading up on some of the demons.

Something about this case was starting to bother him. While he could understand why they weren't given much information, something still bothered him. Perhaps it was simply because they were fighting demons. This whole thing seemed to be about gaining Sargantanas' position that Tsuzuki apparently still held, and that was one of the cases Tsuzuki would rather not be reminded about. It also didn't help that he himself had been called a demon all his life, and then again after death by Muraki. That was definitely enough to make him anxious, but knowing that still wasn't making the sinking feeling go away. The more they worked on this case, the more he didn't like it, but it was a job nevertheless, and he would continue with it. He would protect the innocents being caught up in this, and he would protect his partner.

* * *

_Author's Note: You may be wondering where Kurikara came from. I know Hisoka never officially gained control of Kurikara, as the manga stopped right when he was thrust into Kurikara's test, but I'm writing this assuming he passed and tamed the Shikigami. There is a purpose to it, it's not just thrown in there for no reason. Also, forgive the strange page breaks (which is what -oooooooooooo- was. Awkward transition, but oh well). It's not letting me use what I usually use still. *sigh* Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!_


	5. Buried Past

Hisoka was lost. He'd been with Tsuzuki only seconds before, but somehow, he'd lost track of his partner, and now he was nowhere to be seen. Calling out for him did nothing, as he got no sort of response. Instead, Hisoka reached out with his empathy, trying to sense his partner as he walked. There! On the edge of his senses, he could feel Tsuzuki, and he was terrified of something. Worried, the empath quickened his pace, running in the direction Tsuzuki's presence was coming from. No matter how much he ran, however, he couldn't seem to find Tsuzuki. He didn't seem to be getting any closer, nor any farther away. Hisoka ran faster, as fast as his legs would carry him, but the distance between him and Tsuzuki never changed. He knew Tsuzuki needed his help, he could feel the pain the elder Shinigami was in, but he couldn't reach him, no matter how hard he tried. He screamed out Tsuzuki's name, once, twice, desperate to reach him. He had to get to Tsuzuki, he had to...

Hisoka awoke with a start. Looking around, he found he was in bed, in their hotel room, Tsuzuki right beside him. He hadn't lost Tsuzuki, but that feeling was still there. Tsuzuki seemed to be having a nightmare. Hisoka figured his empathy must have caught it while he was sleeping and affected his dreams. Whatever Tsuzuki was dreaming about, it must have been bad. The elder Shinigami's face was scrunched in pain, his hands gripping the blanket. He shook his head a couple of times and groaned.

"Tsuzuki. Hey, Tsuzuki, wake up!" Hisoka said, gently shaking Tsuzuki. When his partner didn't respond, Hisoka shook him harder. "Tsuzuki!" Still, Tsuzuki didn't awaken, and instead tried to roll away from Hisoka's grasp.

"Stop...stop!"

Why wasn't Tsuzuki waking up? How deep in his nightmare was he that he had a hard time waking up from it, even with Hisoka shaking him and calling for him? The empath hesitated a moment. He wanted to find out what his partner was dreaming about, but one slip could overload his empathy and cause him to pass out. Still, he couldn't leave Tsuzuki like this.

Grasping the elder Shinigami's hand, Hisoka slowly and cautiously let down his mental barriers. It didn't take long before Tsuzuki's nightmare came at him, and Hisoka had to keep a careful balance to make sure he wasn't totally lost in it.

The scene the empath saw was gruesome. Tsuzuki was kneeling in a pool of blood, holding the body of a woman that looked quite similar to himself. His sister? Other bodies littered the ground around him. Tears were streaming down Tsuzuki's pained face. Guilt, depression, anger, sorrow...all the negative feelings Tsuzuki had were crushing, threatening to consume Hisoka. Then, there was something else. Something that did not belong to Tsuzuki. A dark, malicious feeling that wasn't just part of the dream. It was tormenting Tsuzuki, and trapping him in his own nightmare. It felt like a demon.

Wasting no more time, Hisoka reeled his senses back in. He released Tsuzuki's hand and jumped out of bed, instead focusing his empathy on finding the demon that was torturing his partner. There, in a corner of their room, floating above the bed right near the ceiling, was a small, imp-like creature. It was all black, with small wings and a tail. It looked unhealthily thin, its bones visible from underneath its skin. Having found the culprit, Hisoka sent a small blast of energy at it. While it wasn't enough to damage the room, it was enough to damage the imp. Startled, it let out a small yelp, almost falling to the ground before it regained its composure. It hissed at Hisoka and sent out a mental attack. Hisoka was momentarily paralyzed, giving the demon the opportunity to strengthen its attack. The empath's head was pounding, and he risked being overloaded by the attack and passing out. He refused to give in, however, and quickly managed to strengthen his mental barriers. As soon as he had the chance, Hisoka lunged for the imp, slamming his ofuda into it, sending the small creature flying against a wall. It vanished in a puff of black smoke upon impact.

Almost as soon as the imp was defeated, Tsuzuki shot up with a yell. When he realized he was awake and in the hotel room, he went quiet, the only sound in the room coming from his heavy breathing. His hair was plastered to his face and forehead and he was visibly trembling. Hisoka frowned and walked back over to the bed. He knew first-hand how horrible nightmares could be, only he had actually been able to wake up from his before the worst parts came. This time, Tsuzuki hadn't been able to wake up when one normally would have during a nightmare. He had been forcibly trapped in it, and Hisoka had felt just how horrifying it was for him.

"Tsuzuki..." Hisoka said in a voice barely above a whisper, sitting down beside his partner, just as Tsuzuki had done for him so many times in the past when it was Hisoka that had woken up screaming.

Tsuzuki didn't respond. He simply stared, wide-eyed, at the wall ahead, fists clenching the blanket tightly. He had hardly registered the fact that Hisoka was even in the room with him. The events of the nightmare kept replaying in his mind, bringing back the parts of his past they spawned from that he had tried to bury away in order to keep his sanity. It was a huge part of the things that plagued him every day, hidden behind his false smiles. He had been slowly starting to recover from those memories after Kyoto, thanks to the help of his partner, but the progress he was beginning to make was lost now. He couldn't get the image of his sister's dead body out of his mind, the blood that stained his hands, the lives that were lost because of him.

It wasn't until Hisoka gently laid his hand over Tsuzuki's that the elder Shinigami remembered his partner was there. He was startled briefly at the touch, and Hisoka visibly flinched at the power of the emotions coming from Tsuzuki that were amplified from the contact. The empath did not pull away, however, keeping his mental barriers strong and keeping a firm grip on himself so that he could help Tsuzuki. Hisoka refused to let his powers be his weakness when Tsuzuki was so clearly in need of his help. Instead, he tightened his grip on Tsuzuki, curling his fingers around the elder's hand with a gentle squeeze. It was something Tsuzuki usually did for him, except on the shoulder, but Hisoka didn't think that would suffice.

Tsuzuki slowly turned to look at his partner, his death grip on the blanket slackening and his breathing slowly returning to normal. Once he had come to face Hisoka, however, Tsuzuki let out a sob, burst into tears, then buried his face in Hisoka's shoulder. Hisoka was slightly taken back, as Tsuzuki never cried in front of him, not like this. He'd always hid his pain- Hisoka suspected he only let it out when he was alone. At the same time, the empath was, in a way, glad, as it not only opened the door for him to comfort his partner, but it showed that Tsuzuki was willing to show when he was in despair and ask for the help, even if just for this moment.

The younger Shinigami said nothing, and instead wrapped his arms around his partner. While he wasn't used to comforting people, he had learned how through Tsuzuki, and, though he was quite upset with how shaken Tsuzuki was, Hisoka was happy to be able to comfort him. When Tsuzuki had broken down before, Hisoka had asked Tatsumi to help him. He had been too afraid of saying the wrong thing and making it worse. This time, however, it felt more natural. He didn't have to think much of what to do, and Tsuzuki responded by accepting the offer.

The room remained silent, Tsuzuki's sobs being the only source of noise. Gradually, Tsuzuki began to calm, his sobs quieting until they ceased completely. He pulled back from Hisoka and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

"Sorry, Hisoka..."

"Don't apologize, idiot. Are you okay? There was a demon...it had you trapped in your dreams."

"I'll be alright." Tsuzuki attempted a small smile, but the empath could see right through it.

"Don't try to just brush it off, Tsuzuki. Do you...want to tell me about it?"

There was a pause. Did Tsuzuki want to tell him? Part of him wanted to, he felt Hisoka had the right to know. They were partners, and Tsuzuki already knew about Hisoka's past, so it was only fair for Tsuzuki to talk about his. The problem was, he could never bring himself to mention it. He couldn't bring himself to tell Hisoka about the horrible things that he had caused. The thought of Hisoka disliking him because of it was a painful one, even if he deserved it. Of course, he could just say it was a nightmare. He didn't have to connect it to his past. Would Hisoka believe that though? The thought of people finding out his darkest secrets scared him. He wanted Hisoka to remain his partner, and he was afraid that Hisoka might think less of him if he knew the truth. Though, they had been together this long, and not once had Hisoka hinted at disliking him because of his past. He knew there was something terrible about it, but he didn't ask what it was, he just accepted Tsuzuki and all his faults. Perhaps it would be okay for him to know. At least, it would be okay to tell him what happened to Luka.

"It was...about my sister. I was dreaming about the night she died."

Hisoka went quiet, giving Tsuzuki his complete attention. Tsuzuki never talked about his past to anyone, and Hisoka knew that for him to be doing so, Tsuzuki was putting a huge amount of trust into him. He clearly needed to talk about this, and, for once, Hisoka could actually do something to help simply by listening.

"It happened when I was eighteen..." Tsuzuki continued, "It was actually my birthday. You already know how I used to get picked on when I was little. It didn't stop just because I was an adult. It just got worse." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and steeling himself to continue. His voice was shaky, but he kept talking. "They didn't think somebody like me should be part of society. I got jumped by several people that night near my house. Luka, as always, came rushing out to help me as soon as she realized what was going on. But..." He stopped as he replayed what happened next in his mind. He still couldn't remember all of it, but there had been so much blood...so many screams. He still couldn't bring himself to recount as much of the details as he could remember to Hisoka, but he had to tell him what happened to Luka. He was too far into the story to not. "Luka...she got caught in the midst of things...and she was killed..."

Tsuzuki inhaled sharply, trying not to break down again. That was as much as he was willing to tell. He didn't think he could tell anymore even if he tried. To have said what he did was difficult enough, there was no way he'd be able to give more than that.

"Tsuzuki..." Hisoka embraced his partner once again, letting Tsuzuki cry into his shoulder. His sorrow and guilt were so deep...it pained Hisoka to see the older man like this. He waited patiently for Tsuzuki to regain composure. It didn't take him as long this time to stop crying, and he soon pulled away.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to break down on you like that again..."

Hisoka sighed. "Will you stop apologizing already? It's alright." His cheeks turned pink at the thought of how many times he had been the one crying on Tsuzuki's shoulder. Tsuzuki was the _only_ one he had ever broken down in front of. He was the only one Hisoka felt comfortable crying in front of. Tsuzuki never judged, only comforted, and now it was Hisoka's turn to do the same. "I've done it to you before."

It went silent. Hisoka looked over at the clock to see it was 3:15 in the morning. "Come on, let's go back to sleep."

Tsuzuki laid back down as Hisoka slipped back under the blankets. Tsuzuki kept his position on the opposite side of the bed, keeping as much space between them as possible as he always did when he and Hisoka had to share out of respect for the empath. Tsuzuki was careful never to touch Hisoka while they slept (though Hisoka had, occasionally, woken up with a hand in his face due to Tsuzuki sprawling out). While the thought of snuggling with Hisoka was an appealing one, he knew Hisoka would only be uncomfortable, so he kept his distance.

"Hisoka?" Tsuzuki asked once they were settled.

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

"No problem. That's what partners are for, right?"

Tsuzuki smiled. "Yeah."

When Hisoka awoke the next morning, Tsuzuki was still fast asleep. Knowing that he did not get a good rest the previous night, Hisoka decided to leave him sleeping. The empath extended his senses for a moment to make sure Tsuzuki was having a peaceful rest. There didn't seem to be any sorrow, guilt or fear. He contemplated trying to read his dreams just to make sure everything was alright, but decided against it. If there was no threat, he had no right to invade Tsuzuki's privacy like that.

Careful not to disturb his partner, Hisoka slipped out of bed, gathered his clothes for the day and made his way to the bathroom for a morning shower. Just before he reached the doorway, he heard Tsuzuki mumble something. Thinking he heard his name, he looked over, only to realize Tsuzuki wasn't awake. He was talking in his sleep. Hisoka shook his head and closed the bathroom door behind him. Knowing Tsuzuki, he was probably dreaming about apple pie. Or, if Hisoka was involved, being denied apple pie, then calling Hisoka a meaniepants and pouting. The empath smirked to himself at the thought. Tsuzuki could be so childish sometimes, especially when denied sweets, as if he didn't eat enough already. It was a wonder how he could stay healthy with all the junk he ate. Of course, his childishness did annoy Hisoka, and, at first, that's all it did. Recently, however, Hisoka found himself, at times, amused by it. He wasn't quite sure why, since it could be incredibly annoying, but there was just something about it. It was...cute?

Oh, no, he did _not_ just think that. He was _not_ using the word cute to describe Tsuzuki.

Suddenly agitated, Hisoka got into the shower and pulled the curtains closed with more strength than necessary. In doing so, he lost his balance and began falling forward. He clenched onto the curtains to hold himself up, but the curtains had other plans. Instead of keeping him on his feet, they tore, sending Hisoka tumbling over the side of the tub, half of his body still inside while his upper half was sticking out, head hitting the ground. The curtains fell on top of him like a sheet as he yelped in pain.

A moment later, the door handle jiggled and the bathroom door opened. It was then Hisoka realized he hadn't locked the door and had apparently made enough noise to wake up Tsuzuki. He was quickly glad the shower curtain was covering most of his otherwise bare body, though it was still an incredibly awkward situation for anybody to see him in.

"Whoa, are you alright?"

"Idiot! What do you think you're doing, walking into the bathroom while somebody else is in it like that?"

"But, I heard you yell so I wanted to check in and-"

"Get OUT!" If Hisoka had something to throw, he probably would have tossed it right at Tsuzuki. Unfortunately, the only thing within his grasp was the shower curtain, and he certainly wasn't about to remove that.

"Alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Tsuzuki whimpered as he retreated, closing the bathroom door shut behind him.

"Stupid shower curtain." Hisoka growled as he tossed it off of himself (with some difficulty, as it kept tangling itself around him) and got to his feet. He caught his reflection in the mirror to find his face bright red. What an embarrassing situation to be seen in! He was, at least, glad he'd been covered. It would have been far worse if Tsuzuki had seen him naked. That was one way he would not let anybody see him. Ever.

After making sure the door was locked this time, Hisoka resumed starting up the shower. He'd have to make due without the curtains, which really wasn't a big deal, as Tsuzuki was now locked out of the bathroom, but it still made him feel oddly vulnerable and exposed. He placed a couple of towels on the ground by the tub to prevent the floor from getting soaked, and stepped into the tub to take his shower.

Tsuzuki, meanwhile, had plopped himself back down on the bed. He was still a little tired, and thought about trying to fall back asleep, but he wasn't sure Hisoka would let him. They had a case to work on, and the faster they solved it, the better. Still, the elder Shinigami decided to just lay there until Hisoka was done with his shower to start getting ready for the day.

Staring up at the ceiling, Tsuzuki thought about what had happened earlier that morning. The nightmare still made him shudder. He tried not to think about that, however, as it wasn't what he was interested in. Hisoka said a demon had been the cause, trapping him in his own nightmare. If that was so, Hisoka must have fought it off by himself. Not that Tsuzuki didn't think Hisoka was capable; on the contrary, it didn't surprise him. It was the thought that somebody had been fighting for him, that somebody was willing to take on a demon alone in order to wake him up. Sometimes, he felt like he didn't deserve such treatment. Yet, recently, he'd begun to feel like he had more of a purpose. Like it was okay for him to be in this world.

Tsuzuki had been struggling with himself about this on and off for a couple of years now, ever since Hisoka had thrown himself at Tsuzuki, saying how much he needed him. Tsuzuki had questioned that a couple of times since then. How much did Hisoka really need him? Had it been spurred on by the mass of emotions that must have been overwhelming his empathy, or would Hisoka actually struggle if Tsuzuki had died? It wasn't that he didn't trust Hisoka, but that he wasn't sure he believed anybody could need him to live.

Normally, Tsuzuki wasn't one to ask for comfort, preferring everyone to think he was fine and to isolate himself when he couldn't hide his sorrow, and Hisoka wasn't one to provide it. Just a few hours ago, however, Tsuzuki had, without words, asked Hisoka for comfort, and the empath had willingly provided it. And, crying on Hisoka's shoulder, the younger's arms wrapped tightly around him, Tsuzuki had, for once, felt like maybe everything _would_ be okay. He had felt so much better than he would have had Hisoka not been there for him. If physical contact didn't make Hisoka so uncomfortable, Tsuzuki probably wouldn't have wanted to let go either. The empath had been able to comfort him in a way nobody else had with such simple gestures. He made him feel needed. Yet, despite all of this, the nightmare brought back the memories that made Tsuzuki hate himself and feel he didn't deserve all of that, that he didn't deserve Hisoka. He sighed heavily.

Once again, Tsuzuki was locked in an internal struggle over his own self-worth. This time, however, he felt he might actually have to resolve it.

The shower turned off, and soon after Hisoka stepped out of the bathroom. Not looking at his partner, still embarrassed from the situation earlier, he said, "Your turn."

It was business as usual from there. The two Shinigami ate breakfast after they had both showered and dressed, then resumed their research. They previous day had been uneventful, other than their argument. They hadn't found out any useful new information, and had called Tsukiori to tell her what they had gleaned from the Gushoshin twins. She decided to research it herself, and told them she would call them back when she got more information. Tsuzuki and Hisoka were hoping she'd be able to get more information, but searched for themselves in the meantime.

Tsuzuki was ready to put his book aside and take a nice break when his phone suddenly rang. Noticing it was Tsukiori, he quickly picked up.

"Tsukiori?"

"Hey, I got some information that might help you guys."

"Ah! Hisoka, Tsukiori has information for us!"

Hisoka slid off the chair he had been sitting on and instead sat next to Tsuzuki on the bed. "Put it on speakerphone."

Tsuzuki pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. "Er...how do I do that?"

With a sigh, the younger Shinigami reached out and took the phone. "Let me do it." It only took the press of a single button. "Seriously, do you ever read manuals?"

"Not usually..." Tsuzuki admitted.

"Are you two all set?" Tsukiori's voice said, now loud enough for both Shinigami to hear from the phone's spot in Hisoka's hand.

"Yes, I put you on speakerphone so we can both hear."

"Good. So, you already know that demons invaded the human world a long time ago. I found a document from the demon's history that gives a little more detail on it. A handful of demons snuck into the realm of the living with the intentions of bringing humans under the rule of demons. An outright war wouldn't have worked, so they tried to devise a different approach. Apparently a couple of them procreated with human women."

"Demons procreating with humans? That's possible?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Inter-species breeding doesn't happen often, but it does happen."

"But demons aren't like humans, I can't imagine how a demon like Sargantanas could create offspring with a human."

"Sargantanas, no, but some demons are similar to humans." Tsukiori said. "More powerful demons have the ability to take on human forms, and some are very human-like themselves. They were probably very powerful demons that could disguise themselves as normal humans. They were also apparently successful, the human mothers each giving birth to a half-human, half-demon child, that, by all appearances, was human. It wasn't until some time after the children were born that it was discovered this had happened, and the demon realm had more powerful seals put upon it, as well as more rules set in place."

"So those demons failed to accomplish what they wanted? What became of the children?" Hisoka asked.

"The demons responsible were caught and punished, but the human mothers and their children weren't found. The demons refused to tell. Anyway, the hybrid children must have been more human than demon for them to have never been found. It's unknown what demonic traits they received. You'd have to do research from human history to find out if anything like that was ever discovered. It's possible the children lived as normal humans, never aware of their demonic heritage."

"Do you know exactly how long ago this happened?"

"The document didn't have exact dates, but it was probably somewhere around the year 1800, perhaps before it. It was before even your Chief was born, if I'm correct. None of the Shinigami now would know about anything like that. If the names of the human mothers were known, you could try trace the lineage to find out what became of the children, but I have yet to find such information."

Hisoka sighed. "It doesn't sound like this has much to do with our current case. In what you told us, it was demons trying to take over the human world, and now it's a struggle for power in the demon world. The only thing similar is that the two realms are involved, but for different reasons."

"Well, that's all I have for you right now. There wasn't anything about a human, including Shinigami, ruling the demon realm. This is, apparently, unprecedented."

"Then it's up to us to figure out what to do about it."

"Unless the Ashitarote is able to put a stop to it first. I'll bet he is interested in seeing the extent of Tsuzuki's abilities, though, so he probably isn't in a rush to stop it."

Hisoka growled, "So he's probably using it all as a reason to see just how powerful Tsuzuki is, and if there is a demon that can kill him, he gets somebody even more powerful." The thought of Tsuzuki being used as a tool like that angered him. Tsuzuki had already had enough to deal with over his lifetime, he didn't need more. He wasn't just some object of power for somebody else to own. He was a human being with his own free will, and Hisoka was sick of others trying to bend it and break it for their own personal gain. There was no way he was going to let that happen anymore. "He'd better hope I don't ever see him, or his position will be the next to become available."

Tsukiori chuckled. "As cute as your desire to protect your partner is, don't go seeking a battle with the king of demons, unless you want your very existence to be completely erased. Challenging him would be like defying Lord Enma himself."

"I'll still kick his ass." Hisoka mumbled. If it ever came to defying Enma in order to protect Tsuzuki, he wouldn't give it a second thought. He had risked his life for his partner once before, and he knew he'd do it again.

"Anyway," Tsukiori continued, "If I find out anything else, I'll let you know. Keep doing what you're doing. This is going to have to stop eventually if the demon realm doesn't want to face some serious repercussions. Good luck, and be careful, you two."

"Bye, Tsukiori, thanks for the help. You be careful too." Tsuzuki said.

"We'll call you if we find anything out too. Bye."

With the conversation over, Hisoka hung up and put the phone down. Hardly a second after he had done so, Tsuzuki had thrown his arms around him with enough force to knock the smaller man onto his side, the exaggerated hug leaving Tsuzuki half-laying on top of him. "Tsuzuki! What are you-"

"You'd fight the king of demons all by yourself for me? That's so sweet!"

"Idiot! Get off of me!" Hisoka pushed against Tsuzuki until the elder was off of him, and sat back up. Tsuzuki just gave a goofy grin.

In truth, Tsuzuki didn't want Hisoka to ever have to face Ashitarote. Even with Hisoka's amazing defensive and healing capabilities, he wouldn't doubt the king of demons would be able to erase the young Shinigami from existence. Even if he survived, he would probably be heavily damaged and wouldn't recover for quite some time. He couldn't resist hugging Hisoka for being willing to do so though, both out of genuine gratitude and just to playfully tease.

Hisoka sighed. "Well, that bit of information was useless. I thought maybe we were on to something, but apparently not. Now we're back to fighting the demons off until the problem gets solved."

Tsuzuki simply nodded. Something about what Tsukiori had told them bothered him. Maybe the information wasn't pertinent to the case, but it did, perhaps, hold significance to Tsuzuki himself.

As much as he wanted to forget it, what Muraki had told him that night shortly before he had tried to kill the both of them still bothered him. While it did disappear into the back of his mind from time to time, it was never truly gone. The thought that Tsuzuki was indeed not quite human was something that he couldn't come to terms with. He tried not to worry about it too much, as doing so only made things difficult for both himself and his partner. Hisoka had once told him that he was, without a doubt, human, and Tsuzuki clung to that like a lifeline. Coming from Hisoka, it had meant a lot, and Tsuzuki tried to believe it, but those unnatural eyes of his mixed with what Muraki had told him were a constant reminder that there was something inhuman about him.

And now, Tsukiori had found a document from the demon realm about the birth of half-demon children that were never found. The fact they were never found could mean that they never existed, but it could also mean they did blend in to society and had their own offspring, creating beings which grew increasingly less demonic and more human, but would forever have a demonic heritage. Perhaps he was making crazy, paranoid connections, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was one of those descendants. Words Muraki had spoke before his voice had been drowned out by the roaring fires of Touda echoed in Tsuzuki's mind.

"_There is no escape." _

"_We were never meant to exist."_

"_We are descendants of darkness."_

"Tsuzuki? Are you alright?"

Hisoka's voice snapped Tsuzuki out of his thoughts, Muraki's voice being washed away by his partner's concerned one.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

The empath didn't look convinced, worry flashing through his eyes. "Are you sure? Something's bothering you, what is it?"

Tsuzuki shook his head, mentally kicking himself for not keeping his mental barriers strong enough. "No, I'm fine. Just...wondering what's going to happen."

Hisoka looked at Tsuzuki for a long moment, making the elder increasingly uncomfortable. He knew that Hisoka knew he was lying, but he didn't want to let Hisoka know just what his fears were. What if his suspicions were correct? What if he really wasn't human, what if he really was nothing more than a tool for killing? Surely Hisoka would hate him, shun him. That was something Tsuzuki wouldn't be able to take.

Finally, Hisoka dropped his gaze and sighed. "Fine, Tsuzuki. If there is something else that's bothering you, though, I expect you to tell me.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Tsuzuki asked, masking his worry with false enthusiasm.

Hisoka was silent for a moment. He knew Tsuzuki was purposely changing the subject, and it was aggravating him. Sometimes he felt like Tsuzuki still didn't trust him, despite all they'd been through. He decided to give his partner the benefit of the doubt for now, however, figuring he still might be shaken up from the demon attack, and would give him his space.

"I think we should continue to be alert for any occurrences that might be caused by a demon while hunting them out ourselves. Now that we have a more accurate idea of what is going on, it's obvious they will have to be stopped, and we can't sit around waiting for something else to happen."

"How are we going to do that?"

"Simple. My empathy, and your spells. I think it's time for the hunters to become the hunted."


	6. Struggles

_Author's Note: Before actually getting into the chapter, I just wanted to explain one of the demons I included. While I feel that previous ones I have mentioned are well-known and otherwise easy to find out about, this one I'm not sure most people know of and I had to do research on_._ This chapter involves a nogitsune, which, based on my online research, is a type of kitsune, or Japanese fox spirit, but specifically one that is mischievous and malevolent. While other foxes, such as white or black ones, are considered good omens and are messengers of the deity Inari, nogitsune are the sly, dangerous ones. Also, the number of tails a kitsune has depicts how old and how powerful it is, with nine being the highest amount, thus, a nine-tailed fox would be quite old and quite powerful. If any of this information is wrong, I apologize, I don't know much about Japanese lore, but I wanted to include this type of demon and I did do my research. Though, the powers the nogitsune in my story have may be different, I gave them my own little twist. That said, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and thanks as always to my reviewers! Your feedback is greatly appreciated!  
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The hotel room was quiet, the only sounds being Tsuzuki's low mutterings to himself as he diligently worked on the plan he and Hisoka had come up with. The empath watched as his elder partner scribbled things on a piece of paper and listened to what he was saying to himself. While Hisoka knew some basic ofuda spells, his repertoire of spells was nowhere near that of Tsuzuki's. He knew how to work with spells that already existed with ofuda that was, for the most part, pre-created for him. On occasion, he created his own, writing the spell in a careful calligraphy, copied from Tsuzuki's. He could now replicate a few spells on his own without help, but this was the extent of his abilities with ofuda magic. Tsuzuki, on the other hand, knew more advanced spells that weren't usually needed. Currently, he was attempting to weave spells together in order to create a totally new, specific one.

The pair had decided to use a combination of Hisoka's empathy and Tsuzuki's abilities with ofuda to seek and capture the demons. With enough focus, it was possible for the empath to detect malicious auras amongst a small crowd, feeling the difference between the demons posing as humans and actual humans. This alone, however, wouldn't be nearly enough to find the demons. Hisoka was greatly limited with this method, as opening himself up in an area with too many people would overload him, and his senses could only extend so far. Thus, the demon would have to be in the immediate area, and Hisoka couldn't keep his senses open all day while they searched without exhausting himself. Knowing full well these limitations, he had asked Tsuzuki if he knew of any spells that could help them. Tsuzuki did know tracking spells, though they were not powerful enough to find a demon with a good disguise. He then decided to create his own spells, using those he already knew with his current knowledge on how to alter existing ones to create something different. The idea had been interesting to Hisoka to begin with, but, watching Tsuzuki now, he was genuinely impressed and somewhat awed by his partner's skills.

Tsuzuki chewed the back of the pen he was using as he thought, brow furrowed in his deep concentration. Hisoka had never seen Tsuzuki thinking so hard before. He could feel Tsuzuki's mind fluttering about, mentally going over the inventory of spells he knew, which ones would work for what they wanted, how he could weave them together, what alterations he'd have to make. He was so deep in concentration that Hisoka believed the rest of the world was lost upon him, his attention solely on the task at hand. It was only occasionally that he would even acknowledge Hisoka's presence with a glance and a smile when he had figured part of something out and was letting Hisoka know that he was making progress. The younger Shinigami didn't mind in the least, as it meant Tsuzuki was doing his absolute best. It was nice to see him working so hard, something Hisoka knew he probably wouldn't see again for a long time unless it involved an apple pie.

Finally, Tsuzuki sat back with a huff. "Alright, I think I've got it. It took a few spells and some alterations, but I think I've figured out a spell that will both attract and trap a demon. I don't know how long it will hold, particularly with more powerful ones like that dragon, but it should work for what we need." He gave a smug smirk, proud of his accomplishment. "Impressed?"

While he was actually impressed, Hisoka answered with his usual nonchalant attitude, shrugged, and said "We'll see how well it works."

Tsuzuki pouted. "Aw, come on, don't I get a-" the older man clasped his hands together and widened his eyes in false admiration, "'Wow, Tsuzuki, you are amazing! You must be the best ofuda user in all of Enmacho!'"

Hisoka rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Best ofuda user in all of Enmacho? Don't stroke your own ego so much."

"Then can I at least get a 'good job, Tsuzuki'?"

"Fine. Good job, Tsuzuki."

Tsuzuki grinned. "Thank you, Hisoka. Now, was that so hard?"

"Just finish up so we can go put you oh-so-wonderful spell to work."

"Alright, alright, I'm working on it."

Hisoka waited while his partner created the paper charm required for the spell. He watched Tsuzuki's careful, intricate strokes as he wrote the spell out on the blank charm, creating the most complicated-looking ofuda he had ever seen. Tsuzuki's writing was actually quite beautiful. If Hisoka hadn't known better, he'd think the older man was quite skilled in writing and calligraphy. He was clearly only good at writing when it came to ofuda spells however, since his paperwork was always sloppy.

When the writing was complete, Hisoka asked, "Why can't you write that nicely when you do your paperwork? It'd be much easier to read, and much more presentable, minus all the food stains you get on your papers."

"It's legible, isn't it?"

"Barely."

"But you can read it, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then there's nothing wrong with it. Anyway, the ofuda's complete, we can go whenever you're ready."

Hisoka nodded and stood up. "Let's go then."

With that, the pair left the room, heading to a pre-determined location to see if they could successfully catch any demons. They had chosen a forested area away from civilization, where there was an incredibly low chance of running in to any people, yet not so far away that it would be difficult to attract the demons that were stalking the place in search of the two Shinigami. Once they had arrived, Hisoka reached out as far as he could with his empathy. Tsuzuki's was the only presence he could detect. With nobody in the area, Tsuzuki proceeded to place their trap.

Placing the ofuda against the ground, the elder Shinigami infused it with energy, activating the spell. The grass glowed with a red light as a large rune appeared, with Tsuzuki and the enchanted slip of paper right in the center. The outer part was a thick circle, with numerous other circles and other various patterns filling the inside. Hisoka had never seen Tsuzuki use a spell like this before, or any other Shinigami, for that matter. It did, however, remind him of something, or rather someone, unpleasant: Muraki. The man's spells almost always involved a rune very similar to the one Tsuzuki had created.

Hisoka shook his head, banishing thoughts of Muraki. He couldn't make those sort of comparisons. Tsuzuki was nothing like that horrible man. All it meant was that Muraki's spells weren't that different from ofuda, not that Tsuzuki's spells had become like Muraki's.

Having activated the spell, Tsuzuki stepped back until he was outside of the circle and beside Hisoka. Once he was out of it, the glow disappeared. "It's hidden so the demons can't see or detect it. It will activate it once one steps inside, and, hopefully, trap it there." While trapping an opponent wasn't a method Tsuzuki enjoyed, Hisoka had convinced him of trying it. It seemed an unfair way of fighting, but, as Hisoka had reminded him, the demons were doing far worse, and they had to do what they could in order to catch the demons before more innocents were killed.

Hisoka nodded. If Tsuzuki had made any connection between his spell and those of Muraki's, he didn't let it show. The empath extended his senses as far as he could, waiting to sense a demon. Tsuzuki erected strong mental barriers so as not to irritate or distract Hisoka. As Hisoka stood still, concentrating and waiting for a demon to notice them, Tsuzuki paced, unable to do the same.

It wasn't long before a malicious presence invaded Hisoka's senses. Almost as soon as he felt it, Hisoka pulled back. " Tsuzuki, something's coming!"

Tsuzuki stopped moving and turned in the direction Hisoka was facing. The two repositioned themselves quickly so that the spell was between them and the demon. Only seconds later, a large fox burst through the trees, running right at the two Shinigami. Nine tails flowed behind it. The rays of sun that snuck through the branches of trees shimmered off the demon's golden fur. Had it not been for the vicious snarl on the fox's face, it would have been quite a beautiful creature.

The fox landed from its leap, landing in the middle of Tsuzuki's rune. As soon as all four of its paws were on the ground, the spell activated, the rune once again appearing in the grass. The demon growled, suddenly finding itself stuck in its position and unable to move.

"A nogitsune..." Tsuzuki muttered. "It has nine tails...it must be powerful."

_"So, this is the trap you had set up for me." _A growling voice echoed in Tsuzuki and Hisoka's minds as the demon spoke to them mentally, causing both Shinigami to cringe. "_Not bad, but you still won't be able to stop me."_

"What is going on in the realm of the demons?" Tsuzuki asked, ignoring the nogitsune's second statement.

_"You are a fool, Tsuzuki Asato. I won't be stopped simply because you have paralyzed my body."_

Before Tsuzuki could question what the demon meant, Hisoka let out a yell and sunk to his knees, clutching his head in pain.

"Tsuzu...ki...he can-" The rest of Hisoka's sentence was cut off by a scream as the pain intensified.

Not wasting anymore time, Tsuzuki pulled an ofuda from his pocket. Before he was able to attack, however, the demon sent out a mental attack at him, causing him temporary paralysis due to the pain.

_"Your minds are quite easy to penetrate. You don't stand a chance. The boy has powers that leave him especially susceptible. I'll shatter his mind, and yours as well, rendering you utterly useless to Lord Ashitarote. The position shall be mine."_

"B-Bastard..." Tsuzuki choked out. As he moved, the nogitsune increased the power of the attack. The Shinigami, however, kept fighting against it, refusing to let himself be defeated. He sent a powerful blast of energy at the demon, causing a large amount of damage and temporarily ceasing the mental attack. Tsuzuki took advantage of the lapse and attacked again. Unable to dodge or defend himself, the nogitsune was forced to take the attacks in their entirety. It howled in pain as its body disintegrated into the air. The rune Tsuzuki had left faded out, the ofuda now completely used up. He kneeled beside Hisoka. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so... My head still hurts, but it's slowly going away."

"Well, well, I see you live up to your reputation, Tsuzuki Asato."

At the unknown voice of a woman, Tsuzuki immediately stood up. Standing to his left, apparently having just emerged from the shadows of the trees, was a woman, black, feathery wings sprouting from her back. Her long hair was the same shade as her wings, her eyes an icy blue. Another nine-tailed fox stood by her side, it's coat slightly darker than the previous one. Tsuzuki positioned himself between the two demons and Hisoka, a fresh ofuda between his fingers.

The woman laughed. "Hey, hang on there, we aren't here to fight you. We have no desire to hold your position."

Tsuzuki narrowed his eyes, not trusting her words. "Then what do you want?"

_"We are here on behalf of Lord Ashitarote."_ The nogitsune transmitted mentally. "_It is our job to bring the rogue demons back for their punishment."_

"Then why were you watching me?"

"Because you are intriguing." The woman, who Tsuzuki presumed to be a fallen angel due to her wings, answered.

_"When I realized you were fighting one of my kin, we wanted to see how you would fare. You did surprisingly well, giving you were fighting an ancient nogitsune. It's a miracle either of you survived."_

"You really are the Shinigami Ashitarote wants. We are also here to recruit you." The woman winked.

Tsuzuki shook his head. "I have no intentions of taking Sargantanas' position. I don't want it. Give it to somebody else."

The fallen angel laughed. "No can do, kiddo. If it was that simple, it would have been done by now."

"I'm a Shinigami, what place do I have in the demon realm, especially one of power?"

"Simple. You are powerful. Powerful enough for the position. Even if you aren't a full-fledged demon, you are powerful enough that it doesn't matter."

"Tsuzuki's not a demon at all, and he's not going with you." Hisoka suddenly said, having gotten back to his feet.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Protective, aren't you? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you really have no say."

"He's my partner, I have plenty of say."

"You poor thing, having to get caught up in all of this. Ah well, you'll see. For now, we must go. Got some demons to hunt. If you change your mind, Tsuzuki, we'll be around. Ta-ta for now!" With a cheerful smile, the fallen angel and nogitsune turned around, disappearing into the trees.

Hisoka huffed as they walked away. "I don't trust her. Even if she isn't going to fight against us, who knows what she'll try to do to get you to go with her?"

"Well, at least we took care of one more demon." Tsuzuki said, not responding to Hisoka's comment. "We should get back and have a little rest before we take on more though."

"I guess you're right." Hisoka sighed. His head still hurt from the attack, and he wasn't sure he could properly concentrate if they were to fight another demon before taking a rest.

The pair made their way back to the hotel, mostly in silence. Hisoka was too busy thinking to himself to hold a conversation. The battle had reminded him of just how much his power could also be his weakness. Anybody who knew about his empathy could easily use it against him. While he had gotten good at using mental shields to block out unwanted emotions, he still couldn't defend himself properly against strong mental attacks. Muraki had used it to his advantage on several occasions, and it had proved effective every time. With the demons, it seemed even more dangerous, and he hated this weakness. While his body healed incredibly well, his mind didn't have nearly as good of a defense, and one powerful mental attack was all it took to render him completely useless in battle. If Tsuzuki was hurt because Hisoka couldn't fight, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He needed to learn to better defend himself against mental attacks. He needed training.

"Hey, Tsuzuki..." Hisoka began as the arrived at their room. "Um...do you think you could help me train my mental defenses?"

"Train? What do you mean?"

"My empathy leaves me so vulnerable to enemies like that nogitsune, it makes me completely useless. I don't want to be helpless and need protecting in battles, I want to be able to fight alongside you, but I'm still not good enough to block attacks like that. So, I need you to help me train."

"But, what can I do about it? I'm not an empath."

"No, but you don't need to be. All I need is somebody to defend against."

Tsuzuki looked slightly confused. "So you want me to mentally attack you?"

"Basically. You're really the only one who can do it. Nobody else is available right now, and it'd be stupid to practice against actual demons. Just a little at a time, so I can build up my defenses. I'm sick of my power also being my weakness."

The elder Shinigami frowned at Hisoka's request. "I'm not sure how."

Hisoka sat down at the foot of the bed, his legs hanging off the edge. "It's simple. Just hit me with a strong emotion. Think of something that would trigger it, and try to force it onto me. It's not hard if you're touching me. It'll be almost automatic. Anger would work best, it's powerful."

"I don't know...I'm not even really angry right now."

"Alright, anger is probably hard for you, but just think of something that makes you mad. Convince yourself to feel it, then project it onto me. I'll try to block it out, and when I can successfully do so, you can use a more powerful attack until I can overcome that one, and so on and so forth."

"Are you sure you want to do this? Right now?"

"Yes. I'm sure. Please, Tsuzuki. I don't want what happened earlier to happen again. Things could have ended up so much worse."

Tsuzuki sighed. "Alright. I'll try, but I can't promise anything. Tell me when you're ready."

The empath took a deep breath. He was surprised at himself for being so willing to do something like this. He had to remind himself that Tsuzuki couldn't read his mind, so it wasn't like his partner would be probing his thoughts. All that would happen was Hisoka would be forced to feel whatever emotion Tsuzuki threw at him, and he'd block it out. Besides, he knew he could trust Tsuzuki with such a task. He knew Tsuzuki would never hurt him, and would certainly stop if Hisoka couldn't take anymore. "I'm ready."

Sitting next to Hisoka, Tsuzuki mentally went through things that angered him. The first thing that came to mind was Muraki. Nobody had ever enraged Tsuzuki so much before, besides himself, and was always the first person that came to mind when Tsuzuki thought about who he disliked. After all, he was generally a very friendly guy and couldn't bring himself to hate other people, but Muraki had come as close to hate as Tsuzuki had ever felt towards another. He couldn't use that though. Given that Hisoka hated him just as much, if not more, coupled with the fact the man had scarred his partner permanently, Tsuzuki felt it would be too powerful a thing to use.

"Do it." Hisoka said before Tsuzuki had a chance to think of something else. "Use Muraki. That will work best."

As much as Tsuzuki wanted to protest, he knew his stubborn partner wasn't going to change his mind. He sighed. "Alright...but if it looks like you're in too much pain, I'm stopping."

Hisoka nodded. "I'll tell you if I need you to stop."

Taking a deep breath, Tsuzuki lightly grasped Hisoka's hand, providing the skin-to-skin contact that would help transfer Tsuzuki's emotions into Hisoka. He thought about Muraki, and how many times he had wanted to punch the man square in the face. While he had actually tried a couple of times, Muraki had easily dodged it and turned the tables instantly every time. He remembered how angry he had felt when he discovered what torture he had put Hisoka through. He felt Hisoka's hand flinch at the thought, momentarily grasping Tsuzuki's hand tighter, but otherwise did not seem to be in too much pain. Tsuzuki couldn't help but feel guilty for what he was doing, but reminded himself that it was what Hisoka wanted, and continued on.

Thoughts of Muraki eventually brought about thoughts of the last time he had seen the man. It had been in Kyoto, trapped in the black flames of Touda. The words Muraki had spoke to him rang in his mind, the words that made Tsuzuki only believe even more that he wasn't quite human, as much as he tried to deny them. That, in turn, brought about the other things that made Tsuzuki feel not quite human. Anger towards Muraki was beginning to change into anger towards himself. Unbidden, more thoughts and memories flooded in. The people that had died because of him, the color of his eyes, the children that threw rocks at him, the gravestone that him and his sister would visit at least once a week...

Tsuzuki released Hisoka's hand. The empath's eyes were no longer shut in concentration, but wide, staring ahead, though not seeing, as Hisoka's mind was busy trying to register all he had just seen.

Hisoka finally blinked and looked to his partner. "Tsuzuki..."

Shaking his head, the amethyst-eyed Shinigami stood up, taking a couple of steps away from Hisoka. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, it just happened. Forget what you saw." He turned away, his gaze fixed on the floor instead of Hisoka. "I...I can't do this. I'm sorry, Hisoka."

"Tsuzuki... What...what was all of that? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It was nothing. Just forget it."

"It wasn't nothing." Hisoka reached for Tsuzuki's hand, hoping to pull him back over and get him to talk about whatever those memories were that made him feel so much anger towards himself, but Tsuzuki pulled away.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry. I...I'm going to go take a walk."

With that, the older man walked out, leaving Hisoka to stare at the door, dumbstruck. What had just happened? It wasn't like Tsuzuki to walk out like that. Hisoka realized that whatever he had seen, Tsuzuki had definitely not wanted him to know about it. The thing was, he couldn't make sense of it without an explanation. Some of them he had seen in the past when Tsuzuki had sunk low into depression, only, that time, he hadn't run away from Hisoka. That time, he had fully accepted Hisoka's comforting and reassurances. Why did he leave this time? From what Hisoka could figure out, the only new memory was of Tsuzuki standing before a grave, but who's was it? It couldn't have been his sister's, because she (or, who he assumed had to have been her) was right beside him. He didn't see the name on the gravestone, so he had no clue who it could have been. A friend? A family member? Whoever it was, the memory was clearly playing a roll in Tsuzuki's current depression.

Hisoka felt a sharp pang in his chest at the realization his partner was once again becoming depressed. As much as he had been trying to prevent it, it seemed to be happening all over again. But, having realized it before it got to its worst, could he do something about it? He wanted nothing more than to help, but Tsuzuki seemed adamant in his refusal to discuss it. Still, he had to do something. It was his duty as his partner- no, as his closest friend, to make sure Tsuzuki never got as depressed as he had in Kyoto ever again. It was the least he owed the older man.

Grabbing the cell phone and key to the room, Hisoka exited the room, intent on finding Tsuzuki. He didn't trust leaving Tsuzuki to his thoughts; whenever he was in such a state, he only put himself in a deeper hole the more he thought about it. Hisoka had to pull him out before he fell any more.

Upon leaving the hotel, the empath extended his senses. He flinched at the sudden surge of emotions he felt from the people around, having opened up too quickly, but didn't retract his empathy. He began to head for the park, guessing Tsuzuki might have headed in that direction, and searched among the people around him for a sign of his partner. It was quite easy for him to distinguish Tsuzuki from amongst a large crowd, it was just a matter of finding him and being able to take the onslaught of emotions long enough to do so. He began filtering out ones he knew didn't belong to Tsuzuki the best he could, gradually lessening the amount he was receiving. Concentrating solely on on his empathy, he bumped into a couple of people on the way, muttering an apology and ignoring the rude glances and annoyed faces. He was pretty sure somebody yelled at him to watch where he was going, but he didn't care.

Finally, Hisoka sensed Tsuzuki, just at the edge of his reach. He spotted the man walking along slowly, head turned down, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka called, running towards his partner. As soon as Tsuzuki realized Hisoka had found him, he threw up his mental shields, locking the empath out.

"What are you doing here?"

Hisoka's eyes narrowed slightly. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I told you, I wanted to take a walk"

"You wanted to keep me from sensing your thoughts. I know you, Tsuzuki, so stop trying to hide." Tsuzuki went silent, and Hisoka sighed. "Listen, I'm not going to force you to tell me about whatever it is in your past that's bothering you, but you running away isn't going to help anything. Can I at least come with you?"

Tsuzuki sighed. He couldn't say no if Hisoka wanted to come with him that badly. "Alright...someplace quiet..."

Hisoka nodded and followed his partner, keeping quiet and avoiding reading Tsuzuki's thoughts. After wandering away from the main crowd of people, Hisoka suddenly stopped, Tsuzuki taking a few steps by him until he realized his partner had stopped.

"Hisoka?"

"There's another demon nearby. I can sense it."

Tsuzuki grew alarmed. "Where is it?"

The empath concentrated for a moment before pointing. "I think it's this way. Come on, follow me."

Hisoka ran ahead with Tsuzuki following behind him. The presence became stronger as they approached, gradually becoming more familiar to the empath. Where had he felt this before? There was only one demon that he'd sensed before that they hadn't killed: the dragon that escaped Soryu.

"Tsuzuki, it's that dragon! He's recovered and ready to fight us again."

"So quickly? With the wounds Soryu gave him, I'd think it would take longer."

"He's either impatient, or heals very quickly, and the former seems unlikely given his strategies."

As the two Shinigami ran, the people around them gradually thinned out until they found themselves back in the forest they had first fought the demon, albeit a different location. A powerful roar announced the beginning of the battle as the dragon flew up through the treetops, hovering above the Shinigami. Wasting no time, a stream of fire shot from the dragon's mouth. Hisoka was the first to react, erecting a shield around himself and Tsuzuki.

"Tsuzuki." Hisoka glanced at Tsuzuki, meeting his eyes.

The elder Shinigami nodded, knowing Hisoka wanted to summon Kurikara. This time, Tsuzuki wouldn't stop him.

As soon as the attack stopped, Hisoka dropped his barrier, brought his hands together and began the chant that would summon his Shikigami. While he was doing so, Tsuzuki placed himself between the demon and his partner, warding off oncoming attacks just as Hisoka had always done for him when it was Tsuzuki who was summoning. Knowing what was happening, the demon changed tactics, abandoning fire for a physical assault. Tsuzuki strengthened his barrier as the dragon's huge body flew at them, turning sideways and ramming it's immense tail into the barrier. The force of it made Tsuzuki flinch and left a large crack in the shield. Just as the dragon reared back for another attack, Hisoka finished his summons.

"Come forth, Kurikara!"

The roar that proceeded was almost deafening, the mighty dragon appearing behind Hisoka with the intent of intimidating his foe. The demon quickly flew back, narrowly avoiding a blast of energy from the Shikigami.

_"You've finally summoned me, boy."_ Kurikara spoke mentally to Hisoka.

_"I've finally been given a reason to."_

Kurikara snorted. _"You're quite fearless for one who has summoned such a powerful Shikigami."_

_"You're my Shikigami, I have no reason to fear you."_

A noise akin to a chuckle shook the air around Kurikara. _"Very well. Let's see how you hold up when controlling my power."_

Tsuzuki glanced over at Hisoka, ignorant of the mental conversation that had taken place and making sure his partner was alright. Hisoka gave a triumphant sort of smile, and Kurikara blew past him, flying towards the opponent.

As the two dragons fought, Hisoka could feel the tug as his energy was slowly but gradually burned to maintain the summons. It took all of his focus to keep Kurikara in this world, as well as keeping his power under control. Hisoka knew a Shikigami could turn on its master should the Shinigami be too weak to control it. It was what Tsuzuki was afraid of when it came to Kurikara, but Hisoka was determined to prove he could hold up the summons.

Tsuzuki glanced between Hisoka and the battle. While his partner seemed to be holding up, he was unsure whether or not Kurikara could use the help of another Shikigami. His initial reaction was to summon a Shikigami to aid Hisoka and Kurikara, but he resisted. So far, it looked like Kurikara had the upper hand, and Tsuzuki knew how much Hisoka wanted control of this battle. He would interfere only if it was necessary.

Watching the battle, Tsuzuki was amazed at Kurikara's power. He knew how strong the Shikigami was, but he was clearly excited about being summoned for the first time. Kurikara was not holding back, sending powerful attacks at the demon while hardly taking any hits himself. The demon's claws hardly left a scratch on Kurikara's scales.

Hisoka winced as the demon's flames burned Kurikara's sides. Being and empath on top of the connection he and his Shikigami shared, Hisoka found himself more in tune with Kurikara than he normally would be. He could feel when Kurikara was in pain, though it wasn't much given the demon's power, and it was very easy to read his emotions. His Shikigami was currently feeling rather superior, as was he, from the battle they were quickly winning.

"Kurikara, finish him!"

With a roar, the demon was hit with a final, powerful blast of energy. The dragon cried out in pain and fell to the ground, dead. Slowly, its body disintegrated into the air, leaving nothing behind.

"Thanks, Kurikara." Hisoka said once the demon was gone.

_"I'm impressed." _Kurikara thought to his Shinigami. _"You handled it better than I thought you would."_

_"I told you I would when I tamed you. You may go now, thanks for the help."_

With that, Kurikara vanished as quickly as he had come, returning to Gensokai. Hisoka turned to Tsuzuki and grinned. Tsuzuki smiled wider in return.

"Hisoka, you did it! I'm so proud of you!" He proceeded to throw his arms around his partner in an exaggerated hug. Knowing that Hisoka could successfully summon Kurikara was a big relief, and one less thing Tsuzuki had to worry about.

The empath shrugged it off, though he was quite proud of himself. "Told you." He was about to pull away, but swayed, and would have fallen had Tsuzuki not already been helping him to stay up.

"Are you alright?"

"Ah...yeah...just a little tired."

Tsuzuki ruffled his partner's hair. "I'm not surprised. It was your first summon, and I can imagine someone as powerful as Kurikara took a lot out of you, plus you've already been through a bit today. Let's get back and recuperate. Can you walk on your own?"

"Yes, Tsuzuki, I can walk on my own." Hisoka said, pulling away from the older Shinigami. The two began making their way back to their hotel.

The victory had been a nice turn of events, but hadn't made Hisoka forget what had happened earlier with Tsuzuki. He knew that Tsuzuki would use the distraction as an excuse to forget about it, but Hisoka wouldn't allow that. As much as he hated bringing something up that was clearly so sensitive to Tsuzuki, he felt he had to, for Tsuzuki's sake. Otherwise, the man would just keep running away and avoiding the subject, which, Hisoka knew from experience, would only take a turn for the worst in the end. He just hoped that, whatever was going on with Tsuzuki, he would be able to help this time.


	7. Wavering Hope

_Author's Note: Thank you to those who have been reviewing! The last few reviews really gave me encouragement. I'm really glad you guys are enjoying the story. That said, this chapter is a bit shorter than most of them, but I felt where I leave off was a good place to leave it. Also, I'm changing my page breaks between events to -xxxxxx-  
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"Hey, Tsuzuki?" Hisoka began after the two Shinigami had settled back in their room to recover from the two battles they had recently fought.

"Yeah?"

"You know that you can trust me, right?"

Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka curiously. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"It's about earlier. You left after I'd seen something you obviously didn't want me to see. Listen, I don't expect you to divulge everything to me right now, but, at the very least, stop running away from me. I don't know how you thought I was going to react, but I don't even know what I saw. I just..." Hisoka grappled for the right words. He was never one for talking about his own feelings; it was a process that he was slowly learning the longer he was with Tsuzuki. Before becoming a Shinigami, he hadn't even had the need to worry about expressing his own feelings. He was in isolation so often, he had gotten used to loneliness. There was never any need to feel for another person. As such, it took a while after meeting Tsuzuki and the others before he realized that he did indeed feel for other people, and how to express those emotions was even more difficult. He was getting used to it, though, and now was one of those times he felt the need to express how he was feeling.

"I'm...scared. I'm afraid for you, Tsuzuki. I don't want you to get depressed again. When you run away from me like that, I get scared that's what is going to happen."

Tsuzuki frowned. He had been hoping he wouldn't worry Hisoka, but he never thought the empath would actually be afraid for him. "Hisoka...I'm sorry...I guess I'm just...trying to figure some things out. If you find out, you might think differently of me, and I don't want that."

"You don't trust me?"

Tsuzuki shook his head. "That's not it. I do trust you. I guess...it's myself I don't trust." He was silent for a moment as he thought about the memory he'd accidentally let Hisoka see. As much as he wanted to keep it a secret, just by Hisoka offering to talk about it, he felt the urge to tell his partner just what it was. Fear of ridicule and rejection had always prevented him from divulging his darkest secrets to anybody, yet a part of him wanted nothing more than to spill it all to somebody, to finally let it out. He was slowly giving in to that urge, telling Hisoka more and more that he'd never told anyone else. With a sigh, he continued, "Hisoka, did you see that gravestone Luka and I were standing in front of?"

"Yes... What about it?"

"That was my mother's. I never got to meet her. She died giving birth to me. Luka always told me what a wonderful person she was. She said that our mother was caring, kind, understanding, fun...the best mother there could be. Luka was never mad at me, she told me not to blame myself for the death of our mother, but... I was still the one who killed her. If I hadn't been born, she would have lived longer. Luka, too...she would still be alive. It was because I was born they both died."

"Tsuzuki..."

"I know, everyone tells me the same thing, I have to stop blaming myself, I have to get over it, move on, but...I can't! It's so hard. Everyone I care about dies because I was born. Even after I killed myself, my continued existence still leads people to their deaths. Now you're in danger. I don't want something to happen to you too...because of me..."

"You really are an idiot sometimes, you know that?"

Tsuzuki looked up at Hisoka's comment, causing the younger Shinigami to continue.

"If anything happens to me, it won't be because of you, it would be because of my own weakness. Even if it's you the demons are after, it's not your fault. I'm involved because I want to be, not because they are making me be. I _want_ to help you. That's my job as your partner, isn't it?"

"I...I guess..."

"Besides...you've already proven you can protect me. I trust you a lot, Tsuzuki..."

When it came down to it, Hisoka trusted Tsuzuki with his life. Granted, he was a Shinigami so it was more difficult for him to die anyway, but he knew he could trust Tsuzuki to help him if he was ever in a situation serious enough to threaten his very existence. He was the one person Hisoka knew he could rely on. No matter what, Tsuzuki would always be there to help him up every time he fell. Helping Tsuzuki was the least he could do. "Please, let me help you. I'm sorry about your mother and your sister. I can't say I know what losing loving family members is like, but I can say I know how you feel about it. It also wasn't your fault. There are a lot of mothers who have died during childbirth. And Luka wasn't your fault either, it was the fault of those people who were bullying you."

"I know, but still, the fact it was for me that they died...I can't help but feel guilty. To make it worse...I've caused the deaths of so many others, but I went and took my own life. How is that fair? What gives me the right to do such a thing? I don't...I don't deserve the life I've been given, the chances I've been given."

Hisoka's eyes narrowed. "Don't say that. Tsuzuki, I don't think you realize how much you've helped people. Stop thinking so much about deaths that you couldn't prevent, and think more about the good you've done for so many other people." The empath had to wonder if Tsuzuki realized that his very presence could brighten up another's day. He could feel it in the people he worked with, the people Tsuzuki came into contact with. He could feel the joy from Tatsumi every time Tsuzuki gave a genuine smile, the happiness from their chief when a case went well and hadn't left Tsuzuki depressed, the excitement from Kannuki when she found Tsuzuki to be in a good mood, even relief from Terazuma when Tsuzuki recovered from his near-death in Kyoto. Yet, Tsuzuki seemed to be completely oblivious to all of this.

"I'm sorry, Hisoka. Please, bear with me. I'm trying, I really am. It's just so hard."

"Just remember, you don't have to do it alone. You have a partner for a reason."

Tsuzuki gave a nod. "Thank you, Hisoka. You know, for somebody who seems so impatient with certain things, you have a hell of a lot of patience to deal with me."

Hisoka shrugged. "You put up with me."

"You're far easier to work with than I am. Um...you know I was brought up by my sister, right?"

The empath looked at Tsuzuki, giving him his full attention. It wasn't often that Tsuzuki willingly talked about his past without being prompted. Doing so now meant that not only did he want to talk about it, but he was trusting Hisoka to listen. "Yes."

"I never knew my father either. He left shortly after I was born. I don't know why, it wasn't really talked about between Luka and myself, but I heard from other people. They said he didn't want a freak of a child. He didn't want a son with purple eyes. I don't think he wanted to raise two kids by himself either. So, he left us to fend for ourselves. Luka was the one who stuck by me no matter what. She loved me unconditionally, and did her best to support us. She worked so hard, she was such a wonderful person. I imagine she took after our mother. I loved her so much. I couldn't take it when she died. It was shortly after I lost her that I was hospitalized...when I was taken in as a patient by Muraki's grandfather. I really don't remember much after that. All those years are like they never happened, I was out of it too often."

Tsuzuki shook his head and turned to Hisoka. "Sorry, hope I didn't scare you or anything. I didn't mean to talk that much."

"No, it's alright. I'm...glad you told me. Are you feeling a little better about what happened earlier?"

"Yeah." Tsuzuki said, smiling. It was nice to be able to talk about such things without being judged. "Thank you." Perhaps, things would turn out alright. It would be a difficult struggle, but he might just be able to pull through. Whatever was ahead of him, Tsuzuki was beginning to believe that, as long as he had Hisoka by his side to help him, he'd make it.

Hisoka simply shrugged. "It's nothing. Hey, let's get our reports of what happened written and turned in while we're relaxing."

"But that defeats the purpose of relaxing." Tsuzuki said with a pout.

"Get it done now, and you'll have time to do nothing later. If you manage to get a good amount done, then I might just buy a fresh apple pie after dinner."

Tsuzuki immediately perked up at the mention of an apple pie. "Really?"

"Mhmm. But, you have to actually get work done now, Tsuzuki."

"Alright, deal!"

-xxxxxxxxxxxx-

"Aaaand...done!" Tsuzuki said, pressing the 'Send' button from his e-mail.

Hisoka looked up from the book he had started reading about fifteen minutes before. "Did you say you were done?"

"Yep!"

"As in, report completely finished, thorough, and sent in to Chief Konoe?"

"Yep!"

Hisoka stared for a moment before asking, "Who are you and what have you done with Tsuzuki?"

"Come on, Hisoka, have some more faith in me! I can work hard!"

"You just wanted the apple pie."

"...Maybe."

Hisoka shook his head, smirking slightly. "Alright, we'll get one fresh from the bakery after dinner."

"Can we get ice cream too? Vanilla, to put on the hot apple pie."

"I guess so."

"And whipped cream? You have to have whipped cream on top."

"One can shouldn't be too much..."

"And cherries!"

"Stop pushing your luck."

"Okay."

With dessert decided, the two Shinigami headed out to for dinner. They decided to eat out at a simple, inexpensive restaurant. Tsuzuki wore a happy expression, though Hisoka still felt some tension coming from him, a hint of fear, perhaps, hidden beneath the happiness. It wasn't all false happiness though, the empath noticed, and he supposed he couldn't blame Tsuzuki for still being afraid, given their situation. He, too, was a little scared of what might happen. But, judging by what he could read of Tsuzuki's emotions, the older man wasn't depressed. Perhaps Hisoka was managing to keep Tsuzuki afloat, preventing him from drowning in his depression.

"Am I that good-looking?" Tsuzuki suddenly asked with a smirk, breaking Hisoka out of his thoughts. The empath hadn't realized he had been staring right at Tsuzuki.

"Er...sorry, I didn't mean to, I was thinking about something." Hisoka said, averting his gaze and hoping his cheeks hadn't gotten too red.

"Something bothering you?"

Hisoka sighed. For someone who wasn't an empath, Tsuzuki could sure read him easily. "Not really. I mean, nothing I haven't already told you about."

"Oh. Well, stop staring and get eating, you need to keep up your strength. I mean, I know I'm highly attractive, but don't let that deter you from getting your nutrients."

"Tsuzuki!"

The older Shinigami just gave a goofy grin in response and proceeded to stuff his mouth with more of his own dinner. Hisoka shook his head and resumed eating.

When the pair was finished eating, they headed to the bakery to pick up an apple pie, then to a convenience store for vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Hisoka regretted buying the whipped cream in a can almost as soon as Tsuzuki got ahold of it. Squirting a mountain of it on his piece of apple pie wasn't enough- he had to squirt some directly into his mouth afterwards. Then, as if that wasn't enough, he'd told Hisoka to try it. The empath had, of course, refused, but Tsuzuki just wouldn't take that as an answer. Despite all his resisting, Tsuzuki eventually grabbed ahold of his chin and successfully squirted a large amount of whipped cream into the younger Shinigami's mouth. He laughed as Hisoka grabbed a napkin, wiping the topping off his face and swallowing whatever had managed to remain in his mouth. Hisoka failed to understand the joy of it. Sure, some of it was good on the pie, but straight out of the can? Tsuzuki seemed to think it was delicious, however, as he was once again filling his mouth with it before he finally settled down to eat his pie.

"We should call Tsukiori and tell her what happened." Hisoka said after finishing his small slice of pie.

Tsuzuki nodded in agreement. "Good idea. We should probably tell her about those two demons that talked to us."

Pulling out the cell phone, Hisoka called Tsukiori and put on the speakerphone.

"Hello? Tsuzuki and Kurosaki?" Tsukiori's voice rang out from the phone.

"Yes, it's us." Hisoka responded. "We ran into a few demons today and we wanted to let you know what's going on. A pair of demons showed up after we fought a nogitsune, they were a fallen angel and another nogitsune, but they told us they weren't there to fight us. They said they were here for Ashitarote to track down the demons causing trouble and bring them back for their punishment."

"Ah, so they are finally doing something about it."

"Sort of. They just stood and watched as we fought the other demon." Hisoka's tone grew darker at the thought of them watching Tsuzuki fight, "They even said they wanted to see how powerful Tsuzuki was, despite knowing how dangerous the nogitsune we were fighting was. They aren't here just to rally up the demons, but to 'recruit', as they called it, Tsuzuki as well."

"I see. That doesn't surprise me. Tsuzuki, are you there?"

"Yes."

"I don't think they will fight you, but be wary of them. If they intend to bring you back, they will do all they can without breaking any laws to bring you to Ashitarote. Nogitsune especially are very sly tricksters. Try to avoid them, if you can."

"Alright."

"Anything else you guys want to tell me?"

"I don't believe so." Hisoka said, mentally going over what had happened during the day. She didn't need to know about the training incident, nor about any of the conversations he had shared with Tsuzuki. Though some of it was pertinent to the case, they were personal.

"Okay. I have nothing new on my end for you guys. Just keep up what you're doing and let me know if anything else comes up. Be safe."

"Thanks, Tsukiori, you too."

With that, the freelance Shinigami hung up. Hisoka sighed and put the phone away.

"Is it me, or is it taking an awful long time for anybody to do anything about this? I know why the demon realm is slacking, but it seems like our department isn't doing much. Though, now that we've sent in our reports, maybe we'll get some more help."

Tsuzuki frowned. "I hope so. The faster all of this is settled, the better. We don't need more victims." He thought back to the incidents they had had so far. Luckily, there hadn't been as many deaths as he thought there might, but even one death was one too many. He remembered talking to Hijiri, and wondered how the young violinist was doing.

"Do you think Hijiri's out of the hospital yet?"

Hisoka shrugged. "We know he wasn't attacked again, at least. It'd be everywhere if he was, given his popularity. He's probably still recovering. That, or they are keeping his release quiet hoping he isn't attacked again. I'm sure they'll want to keep him hidden from the public for a while."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

The two spent the remainder of the night catching up on the news and looking out for any more clues on demon attacks. There didn't seem to be anything new, though they had taken out two powerful demons in one day, and they usually didn't fight more than one a day, since the demons were being very careful not to get caught. The one that had sent them a message via the news had been foolish and brash. The rest of the demons had been far more secretive about their attacks, and it was working, for most of them weren't getting caught. Tsuzuki and Hisoka had found out, after some searching, that Hijiri had indeed been released from the hospital, but his whereabouts were currently unknown. Tsuzuki hoped that this meant he had left the area and was thus safe from further harm.

With no new leads or information, the Shinigami went to bed, hoping there would be more information the next day.

-xxxxxxxxxx-

It was pitch black. There wasn't a thing to be seen, not a single shed of light anywhere, just complete darkness. Tsuzuki had never been in such complete, unnerving darkness before. He called out for his partner, but his voice was seemingly absorbed by the nothingness. There was no echo at all, and no response. He was alone.

He reached his arms out as he stumbled through the darkness, hoping to find somebody, anybody at this point, but nothing met his fingers. He called out again, desperate for the company of another, even if a faraway response from Hisoka, anything to know he wasn't alone, but still, nobody answered him.

Something caught the corner of his eye. Turning around, he realized he'd come face-to-face with a mirror. He reached out and found he could touch it. Oddly enough, he still could not even see his own hand in front of his face. He could see absolutely nothing but this mirror. Then, the reflection came into view. Or, what should have been his reflection, as it was horribly altered. It didn't have the look of fear that Tsuzuki knew was present on his face. Instead, it had a sinister grin. Its skin and clothes were covered in what appeared to be blood spatter. Black, feathered wings sprouted from its back, spread wide giving it an even more menacing look.

Terrified, Tsuzuki reached behind him, but found no wings. He shook his head, telling himself it was just a warped reflection, that something was wrong with the mirror. It wasn't him. It was just showing him what he looked like that time he had been possessed by Sargantanas. The thought made him shudder. He turned away in repulsion and fear, only to be faced by the mirror once again. No matter which direction he turned in, the horrid reflection was there to greet him.

"You can't run from yourself, Asato." The reflection spoke in a voice similar to his own, though with a deeper, sinister tone.

"Wh-what are you talking about? That's not me! That wasn't me, that was Sargantanas!"

"You continue to deny the truth of your heritage. You are a demon, Asato, and you know it. Stop trying to run. There's nowhere you can go. Accept it, and embrace your demonic heritage."

"No! I will never accept that! I will never let myself become one of them!"

"Become? You already are. Accept it, Tsuzuki."

"No!"

"Tsuzuki..."

"I said no!"

"Tsuzuki-san... Tsuzuki-san! Hisoka-san!"

Tsuzuki awoke with a start. He looked around the dimly lit room to see Gushoshin hovering above the bed. There was a small groan from beside him as Hisoka sat up.

"Ah, you're awake! I'm sorry to wake you both up early in the morning, but the Chief has requested you come back to Meifu immediately!"

Tsuzuki grew alarmed. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

The Gushoshin shook his head. "Not what you think, don't worry, but he said he needs to speak with you right away. It's urgent."

"Alright, we'll be right there." Hisoka said, slipping out of bed.

"Okay. I'm going to go back to help my brother with some stuff. See you soon." With that the Gushoshin vanished, warping himself back to Meifu.

Hisoka looked over at Tsuzuki. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You seem shaken up." He averted his gaze. "I...felt you having a nightmare, if that makes sense. I didn't do it on purpose, it's just something that seems to be happening lately, like the last time with that imp. I guess it's because we're sharing a bed, so being closer leaves me more sensitive to strong emotions from even dreams. Are you sure you're okay? Was it the same one as before?"

"No, it wasn't. It's fine, just a bad dream. We need to get ready."

Hisoka frowned, but didn't argue further. They didn't have the time for that. "I'll go change in the bathroom."

After the two were ready, they warped to Meifu. They knew something wasn't right, and both of them were anxious. Hisoka could tell something was definitely wrong as soon as they entered Konoe's office- he seemed anxious too.

"Tsuzuki, Kurosaki..." The chief regarded them as they entered and sat down. He sighed heavily before continuing, "I'm going to get right to the point. You two are dismissed from your current case."


	8. Dismissal

"Dismissed?" Tsuzuki and Hisoka both yelled at the same time in shock.

"Yes. It has been deemed too dangerous, so I ask you to pull back while we send Shinigami specially suited to combating demons to finish it."

"Too dangerous? How the hell is it more dangerous than anything else we've done?" Hisoka growled, anger quickly mounting.

Konoe frowned. It was clear that he wasn't happy about telling them this, but it was his job and he felt it had to be done. "If they are seeking out Tsuzuki specifically, there may be no end to what they will accomplish to kill him. You, as his partner, are also in danger. It would be safer to send out those who have training mainly in fighting demons."

"We've already fought several of them ourselves!" Tsuzuki protested. He couldn't understand why they would suddenly be asked off the case when they were doing so well. "Why shouldn't we be able to fight more?"

"Tsuzuki-san, Kurosaki-kun, please. The decision has been made. There is nothing more I can do about it."

"But, Chief, if I leave the case, as soon as the demons realize it, the attacks will get worse! I can't let more innocent people be harmed! This is my battle, I want to fight it!"

"I cannot change the decision. It was made by Lord Enma himself."

Hisoka's hands clenched into fists at the thought of Enma giving the order. Where had he been all of the other times Tsuzuki was in danger? "Lord Enma? That is ridiculous! Why would he step in now, of all times? He's never done it before! And don't tell me it's because Tsuzuki's life is in danger, because this isn't the first time, and nobody stepped in to help then! We almost lost Tsuzuki for good, but did Lord Enma do ANYTHING to help? No! He never gives orders like that, why should he now?"

"Kurosaki-kun, calm down!" Konoe said, raising his voice in attempt to get Hisoka to listen to him. "Lord Enma is looking out for the both of you. The decision has not been made lightly, and it will not be changed. There is nothing more I can tell you. You are to return to your duties here in Meifu and leave this case to the others. I am sorry, but that is all."

Hisoka looked ready to say something else, but decided against it, instead storming out of the office. Tsuzuki watched his partner go before turning back to Konoe.

"Chief-"

"Tsuzuki, please. I wish I could do something for you, but it is out of my hands. I'm sorry."

Realizing he wouldn't be able to convince Konoe otherwise, Tsuzuki stood up and followed his partner.

"This is unbelievable! After all the work we have done, they are really going to tell us that we aren't competent enough for it? They could have just let us work together, but no, they decide to kick us out entirely!"

Tsuzuki walked behind Hisoka in silence, letting Hisoka fume while trying to figure out what to do. While he could understand the concern, why did he have to be pulled out of the mission altogether? That would only worsen the situation. The only way they could pull it off without the demons getting angry and attacking more people would be if they already knew which demons were still out there and where they were located in order to take them out quickly. If that was the case, however, they could have easily provided that information earlier. What was wrong with them all working together?

"I can't let it go like this. I can't risk putting more innocent lives in danger. I need to go talk to someone, I'll meet you at your house after. It won't take me long."

Hisoka finally managed to calm himself enough to talk to Tsuzuki normally. "Talk to somebody? Who?"

"Lord Enma."

"Let me go with you."

Tsuzuki shook his head. "I need to talk to him alone. I appreciate it, but I want to speak to him one-on-one."

Hisoka sighed in frustration, but decided Tsuzuki would probably be better off by himself. He was afraid his temper would get the better of him and only make the situation worse. "Fine. But I want you to come right back and tell me what happens."

"I will."

Without another word, Tsuzuki took off, heading for Enma's meeting hall, where he stayed during the work day. Tsuzuki had never actually seen Enma, or even spoke to him before, though that was normal for Shinigami such as himself. Typically, he would answer to the Chief, and the Chief would answer to Enma, but the Shinigami working under Konoe weren't allowed to speak with Enma. The chances of Tsuzuki actually being allowed to do so now were slim to none, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. There was no way he was just going to accept the order without question. Perhaps Enma just didn't realize how much more dangerous things could be if he pulled out of the mission and the demons found out, or perhaps he was being over-confident. Whatever it was, Tsuzuki wouldn't let it stand.

Almost as soon as he burst into the building, he was stopped by one of the guards- a large man in a black suit with a menacing gaze.

"What are you doing here?" The man growled, looking down at Tsuzuki.

"I need to speak to Lord Enma!"

"Permission denied. Lord Enma is very busy and does not have time to speak with you. You know the rules, speak with your Chief if you need something."

"You don't understand! I must speak with Lord Enma directly! It's very important!"

"Are you deaf, boy? You may not pass further. Now, turn around and leave before I make you leave."

Tsuzuki held his ground, determined to see Enma. "I'm not leaving until I get to speak with Lord Enma!"

"You little-"

"Stop."

Both Tsuzuki and the guard turned around to see a woman walking towards them. The guard gave an annoyed growl and took a step away from Tsuzuki.

"Lord Enma has requested you let that man by." She brought her eyes to Tsuzuki. Though strikingly beautiful, she had an unnerving gaze that almost made Tsuzuki wish he hadn't come. "Lord Enma will see you, Tsuzuki Asato."

Tsuzuki bowed his head. "Thank you."

"Do not thank me, thank Lord Enma. I am simply a messenger. Now, come with me."

In silence, Tsuzuki followed the woman. Two large doors were opened as the pair approached, granting them access to the large room Enma occupied. The room was very ornate, clearly one of importance. It rightfully looked like a place fit for a king. Halfway in, the woman stopped, signaling for Tsuzuki to do so also before stepping away. Up ahead was the silhouette of a person behind a screen, presumably Enma. It was clear he wasn't going to let Tsuzuki see him, despite granting him audience, but Tsuzuki really didn't care about that. He didn't need to see the man to have a conversation with him.

"Lord Enma." Tsuzuki said, bowing respectfully.

"You have come to discuss you're recent dismissal from your case." Enma stated rather than asked.

"Yes. Lord Enma, I must stay on this case. I fear the demon attacks will only get worse if I withdraw, and more innocents will be harmed. Since it is me they are after, I feel it is my duty to finish this case, and I request that Hisoka and I be allowed to work alongside the Shinigami that are going to be sent out to work on it."

"I must deny your request."

"What? Why?"

"As your Chief must have explained to you, it has become too dangerous to keep you on it. For both you and your partner's safety, you must remain in Meifu until the case is solved."

Tsuzuki's carefully constructed composure was beginning to slip, his anger and agitation retaking him. "Even at the cost of innocent lives?"

"You should know that the living humans will be as protected as possible and deaths will be minimized if not completely eliminated."

"They could be minimized further if you would let us help to work on the case! We've been the only ones working on it so far, we know what is going on, and we can handle it!"

"The answer is no, Tsuzuki."

"I can't accept that! You don't understand! This is a battle I _must_ fight! I can't just sit there idly while others are working on this case!"

"I'd suggest you watch your tongue. I have given you my answer. The conversation is over."

"No!" Tsuzuki yelled, hands clenched tightly into fists. "I have to be allowed back on this! I'm sorry, Lord Enma, but I can't just let this go! I have to continue this case, both for my sake and everyone else's."

"Do you need to be escorted out, Tsuzuki?"

"Please reconsider! I beg of you!"

There was an audible sigh from Enma. "Please escort Tsuzuki Asato out."

Almost instantly, two guards were at his side and taking hold of his arms. "Let's go. Your meeting with Lord Enma is over."

"Let me go, dammit! I need this case! Lord Enma!"

Tsuzuki was yanked back, his resistance futile, and was all but thrown out of the room, the doors slamming shut behind him. Still, Tsuzuki whirled around and began pounding on the doors, begging to be heard.

"Leave." The guard from earlier said, stepping up beside Tsuzuki. "Unless you need to be escorted out of the building as well."

Realizing his defeat, Tsuzuki turned around, storming past the guard and out the door.

As soon as he'd arrived at Hisoka's house, the door was opened for him. Hisoka frowned, already knowing that things hadn't gone well. He stepped aside, letting Tsuzuki in and closing the door behind him.

"What happened?"

Tsuzuki shook his head, still in disbelief of all he had been told. "He outright refused. It didn't matter what I said to him, he wouldn't give me any more explanation than 'it's too dangerous', even though I told him it would make more sense for us to work together and that we'd been doing fine by ourselves!" He collapsed onto Hisoka's couch and buried his face in his hands. He didn't know what to do. Quicker than they'd been assigned the case they'd been kicked off of it with danger being the reason. They were Shinigami, everything they did could be considered dangerous. Why now? "I can't just sit back while they work on this. It's something _I_ have to do! Even if they take care of it for now, it will probably only happen again unless they find somebody they deem better than me! Once again, I'm causing more trouble just by being here." He punched the couch in aggravation, cursing loudly. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

"Tsuzuki..." Hisoka frowned, unsure of how to comfort his partner. It was extremely rare to see Tsuzuki so angry, and he still didn't know how to react to it. It didn't help that his empathy worked against him in this situation, making it difficult to get near Tsuzuki without it hurting. Still, he felt he had to do something.

Being careful to keep up a strong mental shield to avoid being overloaded by Tsuzuki's anger, he sat next to his partner, cautiously putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, hoping the touch would help calm him. Tsuzuki had the urge to cling to Hisoka and bury his face in the younger Shinigami's chest, but he resisted, knowing the action would not only make the empath uncomfortable, but possibly make it difficult for him to handle the emotions. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"I don't know what to do. I have to be able to solve this myself, but they won't let me."

"Maybe we still can work on it."

"How? We have to get back to our regular work."

"If they expect us to work tomorrow, we'll call in sick. Call it a mental health day. Then we can figure out what to do from there."

Tsuzuki turned to look at Hisoka, disbelieving of what he was hearing. "Did you just suggest we lie to take the day out of work to do something we aren't supposed to do?"

"Well, if that's how you want to word it..."

"You are serious about this?"

"I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't serious, idiot."

Tsuzuki stared, trying to figure out what was wrong with Hisoka, Mr. Be-at-work-on-time-all-the-time-and-do-what-you're-supposed-to-do-unless-you-are-on-your-deathbed, to suggest going against what they had just been ordered to do by Lord Enma, of all people.

"What?" Hisoka asked, uncomfortable with Tsuzuki's staring.

"I never thought I'd hear that coming from you."

"Well, we have to do this, right? Why should we just hand our case over when we've been working so hard on it? There's no way I'm going to let them think we aren't strong enough. We'll continue this whether they want us to or not, even if we have to be secretive about it."

Tsuzuki suddenly flung himself at Hisoka, throwing his arms around him in an exaggerated hug and knocking the smaller man over. "I love you! You are brilliant! You're the best partner ever!"

"Gah! Tsuzuki! Get off!" Hisoka protested, trying to shove his bigger partner off of him. He supposed he should have expected such a reaction, as it was a typical Tsuzuki response to anybody that said or did something to make him happy. "You idiot!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Tsuzuki said, letting go of Hisoka and letting him sit back up. "I just never thought you'd so willingly do something that could potentially get us in deep trouble."

Hisoka shrugged. "Like I said, it's our case, and we're going to prove we can finish it. Besides, if you ask me, dealing with Muraki is far more dangerous than a few demons who are hell-bent on eliminating us."

Tsuzuki chuckled. "We've been through worse, hm? Well, I suppose we should head to the hotel and check out. Tatsumi will catch on right away if he finds out money is still going to the hotel and I'll lose my paychecks for the next two months."

"Good idea. Let's go."

Once they had checked out, gathered their stuff and brought everything back to their respective homes, Tsuzuki headed to Hisoka's house to meet back up with him to plan. His mood had lifted significantly since the news of their dismissal. Though going against Enma's order was incredibly dangerous, both were willing to take that risk in order to finish this case. Hisoka was determined to see it through both to prove himself and for Tsuzuki's sake. Tsuzuki was doing it not only to save lives, but because it had become something far more personal for him.

If he really did have demonic heritage, it was highly likely the truth would be revealed during the case. The thought terrified him, and yet, at this point, he felt like there was no escape. He'd been given too many hints to continue to simply ignore it. Dismissal from the case opened the door for his escape, but it seemed to lead to a dead end. He knew the demons would continue to hunt him, even if he withdrew from the case, and then so many others would get hurt. He could not let that happen.

Striking out against the demons was his way of proving he'd never side with them. It was, perhaps, also a form of denial, refusal to accept that he wasn't fully human.

And, if Tsuzuki discovered that he truly was a demon, that trouble would always follow him no matter what he did, that anyone connected with him would be hurt, he had to leave to protect those he loved.

"That was unusually fast." Hisoka said as he let Tsuzuki in. "I thought it'd take you at least 10 more minutes."

"Hey, I'm not that slow."

"You are any other time."

"What can I say? I was in a hurry to see you." Tsuzuki said with a teasing wink.

Hisoka stopped in his tracks, turned around and whacked Tsuzuki upside the head.

"Ow. I was teasing."

"Don't care. Not appropriate." Hisoka growled, turning back around. "Wait on the couch while I get the tea."

Tsuzuki chuckled to himself as Hisoka half-stomped his way to the kitchen. Even when he was angry, he managed to be cute. Oh, he hoped Hisoka hadn't heard that thought. Since Hisoka didn't yell at him, Tsuzuki assumed he hadn't and took a seat on the couch, putting all teasing aside for the serious conversation at hand.

A short moment later, Hisoka came back bearing a tray with the steaming tea pot, two cups, a spoon and a container of honey. Though he didn't often use honey himself, he knew Tsuzuki liked it in his tea. Upon first seeing how much honey the sweet-toothed man poured into his tea, Hisoka had been disgusted, but had since gotten used to seeing the overly-large amounts of sugar Tsuzuki included in anything not naturally sweet enough for him.

"Thanks, Hisoka!" Tsuzuki said as he poured himself a cup of tea.

Hisoka nodded and sat down beside Tsuzuki. "We should continue to follow the news and events in the living world." he said, getting right to the point.

Tsuzuki nodded in agreement. "If we're taking tomorrow off, we should go there and see what we can do."

"Yes. We can go there on our days off, as well. If we get tomorrow off, we'll have two days of work before our weekend. We can keep up on events the best we can during work. That is going to require you to constantly be working, however. You can't be sitting around staring at the clock if you want to continue to be involved in this case. Of course, you can't turn in your work early either, or Tatsumi will wonder what is going on."

"So, really, my pretending to be doing nothing will actually give me more time to research the case. See that? My easygoing attitude towards work will pay off!"

Hisoka rolled his eyes. "You mean your laziness. Anyway...I guess that would work. I usually get my work handed in early, so that will give me extra time at the end of the day to see what's going on." He took a sip of tea as he thought about how they were going to get the information. "The problem will be getting ahold of the reports that the new Shinigami send. We won't be allowed to see them and have no access to them."

"Hmmm...what about Watari? He could probably hack into the system and give us the reports."

"Watari? He probably could do that but...do we really want to get him involved? Telling others we are going to go against Lord Enma's orders isn't exactly the brightest idea, Tsuzuki."

"But this is Watari we're talking about. I'm sure he would be willing to go against the rules. He can come up with some excuse if somebody finds out. I will take all the blame if he gets caught."

Hisoka was skeptical, but Watari sounded like their best bet if they wanted access to those reports. "Should we ask him tonight after he's out of work?"

"Yeah. He can always refuse us if he doesn't want to, it's not like he'll turn us in. We'll probably have to go to his lab, though. You know he's always in there."

"He'd better not ask me to try any of his weird potions. Or you, for that matter. Last thing we need is you turning into a dog or something. If he offers anything, even seemingly harmless pie, do not, under any circumstances, consume it."

"I won't, I won't!"

Tsuzuki glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still early, so Watari wouldn't be out of work for another several hours. He sighed. What were they supposed to do until then? He certainly couldn't relax, not with everything that was going on. "Can we head back to the living world for a little while? Just until Watari's out of work. I can't sit around and do nothing."

"First, I'm going to contact Tsukiori and tell her what's going on. She needs to know we aren't allowed on this case anymore. I'm going to ask her to keep giving us information though. Was 'it's too dangerous' really all Enma said about dismissing us from the case?"

Tsuzuki gave a nod. "Unfortunately. He wouldn't listen to me at all. It was like he just didn't care."

Hisoka sighed. "It still doesn't make any sense to me. Whatever, I'm going to call Tsukiori."

The two caught the freelancer up on the events of the morning. While it seemed she hadn't expected them to be taken off the case, she didn't sound entirely surprised either. She told them she believed it was a good idea for those with specific skills in dealing with demons to take on the case from here, but also agreed to continue to provide them with information relevant to them. Of course, that meant she wouldn't give details, but Tsuzuki and Hisoka were glad, at least that communications between them would remain open. Hisoka was beginning to really like her, despite her two attempts to assault him with a sharp object. She was, at least, reliable and honest. After thanking her, Hisoka hung up and finished his tea.

"Can we go now?"

"Hold on, Tsuzuki. We can't mess this up. Right now, I'm going to go return those books we took out to the library, since the Gushoshin will be expecting them back now that we are supposed to be off the case."

Tsuzuki sighed. "Alright."

"I won't take long, just keep yourself out of trouble."

With nothing else to do at the moment, Tsuzuki laid down on Hisoka's couch, waiting for his partner to return. He really hoped Watari would be able to help them. It was downright cruel of Enma to be doing this and expect them to be able to just completely drop out of the case. He wondered if Enma thought of them going against his order. If he had, he wasn't worried about it, or perhaps he would have somebody keeping an eye on them. Surely they'd keep a lookout for the pair in the living world.

How would this whole thing even be resolved? At the moment, it didn't seem a solution was possible. The only thing Tsuzuki could see happening was the demons holding off on their attack for now, then striking again in the future. If it had been this long and they hadn't solved their own problems, who knew how long it could go on for? What if the only solution was for Tsuzuki himself to either be killed, or take up his position in the demon realm?

No, there had to be another solution. He couldn't give in. He would find a way to solve this. Besides, he wasn't doing it alone. He had Hisoka's full support, and, hopefully, he'd have Watari's too. They would find a solution. They had to.

-xxxxxxxx-

As soon as work was over, Tsuzuki was grabbing his coat. Because they had nothing else to do at this point and Hisoka didn't want to go to the living world before they knew what was going on out of fear of getting caught, Tsuzuki hadn't had much to keep his mind occupied for the afternoon. Hisoka had set about to cleaning his house- which, Tsuzuki thought, had already been plenty clean enough, but his younger partner insisted on dusting everything down. Tsuzuki had helped him a little before going out to get them lunch, since neither had eaten breakfast. After lunch, Tsuzuki had gone back to his own house for a short time to finish putting his stuff from the hotel away, paced around wasting time, then went back to Hisoka's house a half hour before Watari got out of work, only to pace around some more.

"Wait for me, Tsuzuki, jeez." Hisoka called out from the kitchen, where he had been washing his stove.

"Sorry." Tsuzuki said, waiting with his hand on the doorknob, the door already half-open.

Shaking his head, Hisoka grabbed his jacket. "Alright, let's go."

Once they arrived at Watari's lab, Tsuzuki knocked repeatedly and loudly, antsy to speak with him. Since the lab was part of their work building, they had to be careful to avoid Tatsumi, who was always the last to leave (other than Watari, who often stayed in his lab doing non-work related experiments after-hours), though, with the help of Hisoka's empathy, it had been an easy task.

"Oh, hey, Tsuzuki, kid!" Watari greeted them with a smile. "What brings you two here?"

"We have something important to discuss with you, but nobody else can know about it."

Watari raised an eyebrow, confused, but let them in. Once they settled in, Tsuzuki and Hisoka filled Watari in on what was going on before finally coming to their question.

"Can you hack into the system and get us any reports that get sent in about the case?" Tsuzuki asked, eyes pleading with his friend.

Watari laughed. "Really? You want me to hack into the system so you guys can go against Enma?"

"Can you do it or not?" Hisoka asked with an edge to his voice.

"Can I? Of course! The reports aren't normally guarded too closely, getting them will be a cinch! They won't even have a clue about it, either. I'm an expert hacker."

A smile spread across Tsuzuki's face. "Thank you, Watari! You don't know how much this means to me."

"Hey, it's nothing. Anything for a pal. I can't deny you if it's that important to you. If I may inquire, what are you going to do? Even with the information, it's not like you can just waltz back into the living world to work on the case."

"We know that." Hisoka answered, "We'll have to take it as it comes. At the very least, the reports will keep us up to speed on what is going on. I just hate that they kicked us out of the case without even giving us a chance, like were inadequate just because we aren't specialized in fighting demons. We did a damn good job on our own, and we can keep doing so."

Tsuzuki nodded. "Yeah, and I can't just sit back when I know they are after me. I don't care if it's defying orders. If the attacks get worse, I have to know about it so I can stop it."

"And so you'll jump in anyway, and Hisoka's gonna back you up no matter what. Sounds good to me. I'm glad to help."

"Thank you, Watari, so much. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime. Just help me with my sex-change potion, huh?"

Tsuzuki's face dropped slightly, and Hisoka glared. Watari laughed at their reactions.

"I'm teasing ya! Sorry, you guys just seem so tense, thought you could use a little cheering up." He smiled. "Anyway, I'll print out copies of the reports and give them to you directly. I don't want to e-mail them, that could easily be discovered and we'd be screwed. Are you two coming to work tomorrow?"

"Not sure. I'm going to call in tomorrow morning asking Tatsumi for a mental health day." Hisoka answered.

"Ah. I'm sure he'll give it to you, especially if it's you asking, since you don't normally take days off. If not, I can try to convince him otherwise. Not that he usually listens to me...but I'll try."

Tsuzuki smiled. "Alright, thank you again, Watari."

"No problem. I'll see you two soon!"

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_Author's Note: I was kind of iffy about this chapter for some reason, so please do let me know what you think of it. Thanks to my readers and reviewers as always!_


	9. Dangerous Fight

_Author's Note: Oh my gosh, look, I updated! I hope people are still reading this. I was kind of in a rut for a while, then came up with an idea, started typing and ended up staying awake until 3 in the morning finishing this chapter. I got rather into it halfway through and just couldn't stop. Thank you to those that are still reading, I hope you enjoy!_

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The following day was uneventful. It had taken all of Tsuzuki's self-control to stay home and avoid going to the living world. It had been his partner who had gone back to retrieve a couple newspapers to check up on any important events. While he was doing that, Tsuzuki searched for any relevant news via the internet. Neither source had brought up anything new. Watari had shown up at Hisoka's after work, carrying the first of the promised reports. Hisoka called up Tsuzuki to come over and read it. The report was basic- the Shinigami that were on the case found and defeated a demon with little difficulty and stated there were no human injuries or casualties. In this case, no news was good news, as it meant the demons hadn't yet realized Tsuzuki was back in Meifu and the demons would continue to seek him out without doing damage to those still living to avoid getting caught. It had only been a day, however, and Tsuzuki was sure they would find out soon.

A couple of days later, the newest report brought news that Tsuzuki had been fearing.

There had been another attack that killed three humans. The attack was very clever and could easily have been mistaken for an accident. It had happened to a married couple and their young child while they were out taking a relaxing ride in a rental boat. The boat had capsized and the entire family had drowned. While it was ruled out as an accident, the Shinigami investigated and found traces of another presence. It was believed to be the work of a leviathan.

This news outraged Tsuzuki. "I knew this was going to happen! I warned them this was going to happen, and now more innocent people are getting killed!"

"Tsuzuki! Calm down, we don't know if this was because they know you are gone yet or not. It could be just a demon getting impatient and attacking, just like happened when we were on the case."

Tsuzuki shook his head. "I can't take that chance. If they really have found out, there are bound to be more casualties. I want to prevent as many as possible!"

"Running into the situation without knowing for sure what is going on isn't going to help. Listen to me, and wait a little while longer. I know you want to protect everyone, but don't do anything brash. I'm sure the others will be keeping an eye on that area now, so us going there to investigate would only get us caught."

While that seemed to be enough to get Tsuzuki to back down, Hisoka could still feel his anger, worry and sorrow. Maybe agreeing to continue to follow the case wasn't a good idea after all. He thought that if they kept track of what was going on and snuck into the living world every now and again to make the demons believe they were still on the case, possibly even fighting off some of them, Tsuzuki wouldn't get as upset. He had also feared that his partner would have continued regardless of whether he agreed or not, which would have been far more dangerous. Yet, even by agreeing, Tsuzuki still felt helpless and guilty. No matter how they handled it, it seemed to be a losing situation. Hisoka was holding on tightly to his partner, but Tsuzuki was beginning to slip.

"If there is another attack, we'll sneak into the living world and try to convince the demons we're still on this case." Hisoka said, hoping it would provide some sort of relief for Tsuzuki. His partner, however, simply nodded.

-xxxxxxxxx-

When Tsuzuki was late for work the next day, Hisoka was worried. It was perfectly normal for Tsuzuki to be late, but paranoia was beginning to set in, and thoughts of Tsuzuki leaving were beginning to plague Hisoka.

"How is Tsuzuki-san?" Tatsumi asked fifteen minutes after Hisoka had arrived. The secretary knew what had happened, and was worried about how Tsuzuki was handling it.

"Worried. He knows the demons are after him, and he is afraid the attacks will get worse when they realize we aren't on the case anymore." While he couldn't tell Tatsumi that they knew what was going on with the case, Tsuzuki's concern was enough to give both of them a reason to be upset. It was half of the truth, but it was enough. "I'm trying to help him, but...he's hard to get through to sometimes. Things like this, they cut so deep, it's like nobody can get to him no matter how hard we try."

"I see." Tatsumi laid a comforting hand on the younger Shinigami's shoulder. "I understand, but if anybody can get through to him, Kurosaki-kun, it's you. As his partner, what you do will make much more of an impact than what the rest of us do."

Hisoka gave a nod. "I'm not giving up. I just hope he doesn't do something extreme."

Tatsumi smiled. "Keep at it, Kurosaki-kun." With that, the secretary walked out, leaving Hisoka in the office alone.

An hour later, Tsuzuki arrived, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Hey, Hisoka..." he mumbled after entering the office, no emotion in his voice.

"About time." Hisoka said, watching Tsuzuki as he sat down.

"Sorry, I overslept..."

Hisoka frowned. Tsuzuki being tired in the morning wasn't unusual, but it was unusual for him to not have any energy at all. He looked exhausted and defeated. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Yes." While he hadn't intended to give more of an answer than that, Hisoka kept staring at him, knowing he didn't get a full night's sleep and waiting for him to elaborate. "What? I did."

"But how long?"

The older Shinigami hesitated a moment. He knew Hisoka would worry, and he didn't want to cause his partner to worry any more than he already was, but he also knew Hisoka wouldn't let up until he told him the truth. "Umm...counting the hour that I overslept? About three... But I'll be fine." He sat down at his desk and turned to the paperwork he had waiting for him. He wasn't sure how he was going to get through it, but he would at least try to work on some of it.

Hisoka watched as his partner slowly began his work. It was obvious Tsuzuki had been up all night thinking about the case. He tried reading the man, but he couldn't get anything. Not only did Tsuzuki seem to be generally not feeling much anyway, but he was completely locking Hisoka out. This frustrated the empath, but he decided to leave it be for now. Tsuzuki didn't seem to be in a talking mood, and would likely either walk away or agree with anything he said just to avoid argument. He would have to talk to Tsuzuki about it during break or after work.

The sound of snoring not even a half hour later brought Hisoka's attention back to Tsuzuki. The elder man's head was laying on his desk, covering the paperwork he had started working on, his pen loosely in his hand. Hisoka walked over to Tsuzuki's desk, grabbed the stack of paperwork, and took it back over to his own desk. While he could just wake Tsuzuki up, he decided to let his partner sleep. He would get the paperwork done himself. Besides, it wasn't like Tsuzuki would actually get much done when he was that tired anyway, and Hisoka could work quickly.

It wasn't until 10 minutes into what was supposed to be their break time that Hisoka realized he was missing lunch. Normally, Tsuzuki would have announced that it was lunchtime at the precise minute. Since he was still sleeping, however, Hisoka hadn't noticed the time and almost worked right through. After putting his pen down, the younger Shinigami got up and approached his partner.

"Hey, Tsuzuki, wake up." He said, shaking the sleeping man.

Tsuzuki gave a groan before quickly sitting up with a surprised yelp. "Did I...fall asleep?"

"Yes. It's lunch time."

"It is? Gah, I can't believe I fell asleep...oh, man, Tatsumi's going to be so mad..." He glanced around his desk, searching for the paperwork he had been working on. When he couldn't find it, he glanced underneath and around his desk, wondering if it had fallen off. "Where _is _my paperwork?"

Hisoka motioned to his desk. "On my desk. Actually...I already finished what you were working on."

Tsuzuki turned to his partner, a look of confusion on his face. "You did? Why?"

"Well...you seemed really tired...and we all know you aren't going to get any work done if you're that sleepy, no matter how many times I try to keep you awake. I don't want to have to stay here later because your paperwork didn't get done on time, or hear you whining when Tatsumi gets mad."

Tsuzuki smiled. Though Hisoka tried to make the gesture sound like he was just doing it to save himself some annoyance, the older man could tell there was more compassion in it. "You didn't have to do that. Thanks, Hisoka!"

"Just come on, we're already late for lunch. Don't expect me to do any more of it though. You had a long enough nap, you can do the rest of your own work."

The rest of the afternoon went normally. Tsuzuki managed to get a decent amount of work done, though the pair did end up staying an extra half hour to finish things. It had worked to their advantage, however, as Watari was able to stop by before they left to drop off the newest report. The partners went to Tsuzuki's apartment afterwards to review it. They had ordered take-out food on the way and went over the report as they ate. Overall, the news was not good.

The leviathan had yet to be caught. It had killed another person, and there had been a second attack from a different demon. The Shinigami had defeated a third demon, a serpent, but that was the only good news in the report.

"Dammit!" Tsuzuki swore, slamming down the papers he'd been holding on the table. "They know we're not there anymore, they must. They never had so many attacks at once while we were working on it!"

"That, or they realize one at a time isn't going to get them far. It's not all that unusual, Tsuzuki. We fought two in one day before."

Tsuzuki shook his head. "Less people had died. They're killing more now than they had before. Too many innocent people are being killed because of this. They need more Shinigami on that case, they should send us back out!"

Hisoka frowned. He could feel the guilt behind his partner's anger. "Perhaps they do need more people on the case, but don't start blaming yourself for this again."

"I'm not-"

"You are. Don't lie to me, Tsuzuki, I can read your emotions. I know you better than that."

The elder Shinigami went silent. Hisoka was beginning to understand why they had been kicked off this case. Perhaps the Chief, or even Lord Enma, had decided it was too much for Tsuzuki to handle emotionally. But then, surely they would have realized kicking him off of it would also harm him, wouldn't they? Chief Konoe had been around longer than anybody else whom had worked with Tsuzuki, so he should have known kicking them off the case would stress Tsuzuki as well, perhaps even more so than if they had been allowed to work on the case with a second pair. Was there something more to it?

"I want to go back to the living world." Tsuzuki finally said. "I can't risk them knowing we aren't on the case anymore."

Hisoka sighed. He knew this was going to happen eventually. "Alright, we'll go. But, listen to me, we aren't going to stay long. We can't be discovered by the Shinigami, or we'll both be in huge trouble. Don't think we're doing this all the time, either." As much as he wanted Tsuzuki to just forget about the case and leave it, he knew that wasn't going to happen. No matter what decision he made, Tsuzuki was going to be upset until this case was over. Since he didn't want to risk the chance of Tsuzuki taking things into his own hands, he decided he was better off going along with Tsuzuki and keeping a close eye on him. That's what partners were for, after all.

The older Shinigami smiled a little. "Thank you, Hisoka..."

"Thank me by not getting into trouble. We have to go quickly, as we can't afford to stay there long, but we also need a plan. Otherwise, we'll be digging ourselves into a hole." Pulling this off would be tricky and dangerous as it was. They had to both avoid the other pair of Shinigami while also attracting the attention of a demon. If they went to an area demons had previously attacked, they were at a much higher risk of being spotted by the other team on the case. Yet, if they just hung around, they weren't going to attract any demons either. "Did they say where in their report they were going to target first?"

Tsuzuki looked back into the files, flipping to the end of the report. He took a brief moment to skim over it before answering. "It seems like they are going to focus on the leviathan first. They are sure it will attack again in the same location, so they are going to try to stop it before anybody else is killed."

"That would leave the second demon they mentioned available for us to track down."

"It's probably waiting for us to show up there. I bet if we head to that area, it will find us quickly."

"I suppose that would work. We can't spend a lot of time there, though. We don't know how long it will take for the other Shinigami to track down and kill the leviathan, if they haven't already. I'll keep my senses open for them, but if I say we need to leave, then I expect you to come with me right that second."

Tsuzuki nodded. "Alright. I'll be careful, I promise."

"Let's go then."

With that, the pair transported themselves to the living world. The attack had taken place on the outskirts of town, near a construction sight. The victim had reportedly been one of the construction workers who had wandered just a little ways away during a lunch break. The man had suddenly started screaming in pain. He was rushed to the emergency room, having been found lying on the ground nearly paralyzed. Before making it to the hospital, he died. As of the time the report was written, the cause of death was unknown. The only reason the Shinigami had realized it was a demon attack was because they had sensed the use of magic, which was, most likely, the attacker letting them know it was, in fact, a demon.

Once they had arrived, Hisoka opened up his senses, extending them as far as possible without straining himself. While he didn't sense the presence of a Shinigami, he could feel something malicious.

"Tsuzuki, be careful. The Shinigami aren't here, but I believe the demon is." Using his empathy, he tried targeting the demon, hoping to find it before it was able to attack. Since they didn't know what type of demon it was, they didn't know what they were up against. All they did know was the demon could use magic, so anything could happen.

Whatever type of demon had attacked, it was definitely trying to lure them in. The traces had most certainly been left there on purpose. It was expecting them, and it likely had a plan.

Hisoka felt something poking at his empathy. It wasn't strong enough to be an attack, but it was irritating enough to want to find it and strike out at it, and malicious enough to make him want to pull his senses back. He resisted, however, and continued to try to pinpoint the demon's location. It was aware of them, of that he had no doubt. Now, it was a matter of finding it and taking it out before it eliminated them.

A sudden cry of pain from Tsuzuki shattered Hisoka's concentration as the younger Shinigami jumped up, both startled and alarmed. Turning around, he found his partner standing right in the middle of a magic rune, jolts of electricity shooting out of it and through Tsuzuki's body. They had walked right into a trap.

The rune disappeared as it wore out, leaving Tsuzuki to fall to his knees, his body temporarily overwhelmed and unable to move. Hisoka rushed over to him, intent on protecting him from further harm.

There was a giggle from behind him, and the empath quickly turned around. Standing before him was a tall, slender woman. She was dressed completely in black, skin-tight clothing. At the sight of the fallen Shinigami, she grinned.

"You walked right into it, just like I thought you would. So, you are still here after all, Tsuzuki Asato."

Hisoka wasted no time pulling an offensive ofuda spell from his pocket, ready to attack. The demon only smiled wider, revealing a pair of sharp, white fangs. "You think you can fight me, boy? Well then, go ahead, give it a try."

Angered both by the surprise attack and from the demon's mocking attitude, Hisoka released a burst of energy. The demon, however, was fast, and quickly avoided the attack. She ran at him, and, before he had a chance to retaliate, tackled him away from Tsuzuki, knocking him to the ground.

"You'll never win like that, boy!" The demon yanked Hisoka back up, pulled him against her, and sunk her fangs into his neck. Hisoka struggled to wretch himself free, trying to pull away. Slender arms were holding him in place surprisingly tight, making it difficult for him to escape. He finally managed to pull himself away, the demon's fags cutting across his skin as he wretched his neck free from her mouth.

By this time, Tsuzuki had recovered from the previous attack, and sent a blast of his own at the demon just as his partner stumbled away from her. This time, it hit, causing her to bring her attention back to the older Shinigami.

Hisoka was about to attack once again when the wound on his neck suddenly burst into a sharp pain. He instinctively brought his hand to the wound. The scratches on his neck had caused some bleeding, but, other than that, it hardly seemed like anything serious. Still, the pain was quickly intensifying. As much as he tried to ignore it in order to focus on the battle, it wouldn't let him concentrate on anything else. As Tsuzuki and the demon fought, the pain spread. He could feel it extend to his chest, and then further still. He cried out as it grew worse, quickly becoming unbearable. His knees gave out, and the Shinigami crumpled to the ground. Searing pain shot through his entire body. It felt like every nerve was on fire.

Hearing his partner's distress, Tsuzuki glanced over to see Hisoka fall to the ground. "Hisoka!"

There was a shrill laugh from the demon as the older Shinigami rushed to his partner.

"What did you do to him?" Tsuzuki yelled, turning his gaze on the demon.

"I gave him a little taste of my venom. Well, more than a little. I was able to inject him with at least triple the amount I gave to that human. Humans take much less, you see. Had I given him the amount I gave your little partner, he would have died instantly. As it was, it killed him rather quickly." She smiled at the enraged look upon Tsuzuki's face. "It will kill the boy too, eventually. His body won't be able to rid itself of the poison in time. It will be too busy trying to heal the muscles the venom destroys, thus exhausting itself before the poison is eliminated. Shinigami aren't invincible, you know that."

The demon's laugh was interrupted by another blast from Tsuzuki. She jumped back, narrowly avoiding it. As soon as he released the attack, Tsuzuki began a summon. Before the demon could stop it, Tsuzuki called forth Suzaku. The Shikigami appeared with a cry. At Tsuzuki's command, she sent a stream of fire at the demon. This time, she wasn't able to avoid it, and was caught in the blast. The demon screamed as she was incinerated.

The demon was echoed by Hisoka, who let out another scream of pain as he writhed on the ground. The world around him had dissolved, leaving only the pain that wracked his body. He could just barely tell Tsuzuki was lifting him off the ground. He was beginning to lose consciousness, and yet, the poison was relentless, leaving him teetering on the edge of consciousness, yet still keeping him awake just enough to feel the pain.

"Ts-Tsuzu-ki..." The smaller Shinigami clung to Tsuzuki's coat as his partner held him. He tried not to cry out, but yet another scream escaped him.

Tsuzuki immediately warped the two of them back to Meifu, straight to Watari's lab. "Watari! Watari, I need your help!"

Watari instantly dropped what he had been doing and rushed over to the pair. "Tsuzuki! What happened?"

"Hisoka's been poisoned! A demon bit him, I need you to help him!"

"Put him down." Watari instructed, motioning to an armchair off to one side. "What kind of demon was it?"

"I-I don't know!" Tsuzuki was on the verge of hysteria. His hands shook as he let his partner down into the chair. Hisoka had released his coat, only to grab onto his sleeve. "She looked like a normal human. She bit his neck and said she injected him with venom!"

Watari cursed under his breath and began looking through a cabinet full of various vials and jars, some empty while others contained all sorts of liquids. Without knowing the type of venom it was or what kind of demon had administered it, it was incredibly difficult to come up with anything that might help. Though only a couple of seconds, to Tsuzuki, it had seemed more like minutes that Watari was rummaging through before he finally decided on a vial. He found a syringe, filled it up with the liquid, and walked back over to Hisoka.

"Hold him down while I inject this."

Tsuzuki did as he was instructed, preventing Hisoka from writing and convulsing as best he could. Watari poked the needle into the youngest Shinigami's arm, emptying the syringe's contents into Hisoka's bloodstream.

"That should help his body fight it off. If he doesn't show any signs of improvement within a minute, I'll find something else."

"We can't wait that long!"

"It would take longer than that before his body begins to shut down. He has incredible healing capabilities, I believe this will work." Watari said, trying to calm Tsuzuki and reassure him that Hisoka would be alright.

Almost half a minute later, Hisoka's screams gradually reduced to whimpers. His grip on Tsuzuki's clothes slackened as he stopped moving, leaving him to sit limply in the chair. He let his head fall back, eyes closed, his panting the only sign he was still conscious.

Both Tsuzuki and Watari let out sighs of relief.

"You should take him to the infirmary. He seems to be alright, but it will be a good idea to keep an eye on him."

Tsuzuki nodded and was about to pick Hisoka up when the young Shinigami very weakly attempted to push his arm away.

"I'm...fine..."

"No, I'm going to take you to the infirmary."

Hisoka slowly opened his eyes to give an attempted glare at his partner. "And what? Tell them we went against orders and got attacked? I'll be alright. Please, just...take me home..."

Tsuzuki frowned and looked to Watari.

"He does have a point. You'd be in quite a bit of trouble if they find out what happened. You can't leave him alone though." He looked Hisoka over for a moment, checking his pulse. "I do think he will be alright with enough rest. The anti-venom I gave him seems to have helped his body fight all of the poison off. He most certainly won't be well enough to work tomorrow, however. Call him out tomorrow morning, stay with him, and call me if anything else happens.

"Alright. Thank you, Watari."

"No problem. I wouldn't suggest taking any more demon-hunting trips."

"Tsuzuki..." Hisoka mumbled as they arrived at his house. "I'll be alright, really. Stop worrying. It's not like I haven't dealt with worse."

Tsuzuki set Hisoka in his bed. "I'm sorry, Hisoka. I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, idiot?"

"You...you could've...I was so scared... For a moment, I thought I might lose you... If I hadn't fallen for that trap-"

"Stop. Stop right now. I'm too tired to argue with you, but, I swear, when I wake up in the morning, I'll beat you senseless if you start blaming yourself. I'm alright. Go to sleep, Tsuzuki."

"Hisoka..."

"Stop worrying so much. I can't be killed that easy. Go get some rest, you need it too."

"Alright..." Tsuzuki said, leaving the conversation at that. "Sleep well, Hisoka."

Before he could give a response, Hisoka was asleep. Tsuzuki pulled the blankets back and tucked him in. There he sat for a moment, simply watching his partner and making sure he really was alright. Once he'd confirmed Hisoka was asleep, he gently brushed the younger's cheek with the backs of his fingers. Seeing Hisoka in so much pain had been so hard to witness, and the thought of losing him was unbearable. Hisoka was far too important to Tsuzuki to let such harm come to him. He knew he wouldn't be able to take it if Hisoka was ever killed. Lately, his partner was the only thing preventing him from losing himself to his own demons. Tsuzuki had come to realize just how very much he loved Hisoka. Whether the empath felt the same way or not didn't matter- Tsuzuki had to protect him at all costs. He didn't deserve to be caught up in all of this. He deserved so much better.

Tsuzuki sighed. He had to find a way to end this without putting his partner in any more danger. For now, however, he supposed he would get some rest. Now that the danger was past, he felt exhausted. He would stay over Hisoka's in case anything happened. There was a couch he could sleep on. All he needed was a blanket. Quietly, he opened Hisoka's closet, found a blanket, and brought it to the couch in the living room. He settled on the couch and closed his eyes, easily drifting off into sleep.


	10. Decision

**_Author's Note:_**_ To any who may be concerned about this fic being completed: Don't worry. I will certainly finish it. I know I'm an infrequent updater, and I apologize to any who may be waiting. I'm actually considering a sequel, but I'll get into that more near the end of this one, as I'd like feedback about it if I do decide to try it. Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one. The pace should start to pick up more from here on out. _

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The ringing of a telephone was what brought Tsuzuki out of his slumber. For a brief moment, he was confused as to where he was and what was going on. Oh, that's right, Hisoka's house. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he realized it was an hour after they were supposed to have shown up for work. The person calling, then, must be Tatsumi, wondering where the two of them are. With a yawn, Tsuzuki got up from the couch and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Tsuzuki-san?" Tatsumi's voice came from the phone, surprise in his tone. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"Hisoka's not feeling well. Sorry, I forgot to call earlier and let you know. I was hoping I could stay here and take care of him. You know how he is, he might ignore it and just end up worse if he's left alone." There was a bit of truth to that. Hisoka had a tendency to push himself to his limit, sometimes passed that. Besides, Hisoka wasn't one to play hooky, so Tsuzuki was sure Tatsumi would believe him.

There was a sigh. "Alright. Make sure he gets enough rest. But next time, do remember to call out of work first."

"I will. See you tomorrow."

"Was that Tatsumi?" Hisoka's weary voice sounded from the doorway.

Tsuzuki turned around to see his partner leaning up against the wall, hair disheveled and looking like he could fall back asleep at any moment.

"Yeah, he was wondering why we weren't at work. I...uh...forgot to call him earlier."

"Does he want us at work?"

"Nah, I told him you weren't feeling good and he said I can stay here to take care of you."

Hisoka huffed and looked away, cheeks turning pink. "I don't need you to take care of me. I'm not a kid, I can take care of myself."

Tsuzuki smiled. "Perhaps, but I'm going to stay anyway. Besides, you need somebody around in case something happens. Watari told me to keep an eye on you."

"I was fine all night, I don't think anything is going to happen."

"Go back to bed, you look tired. I'll get breakfast."

Hisoka suddenly looked alarmed. If Tsuzuki cooked, then he'd really be sick. "No, that's okay, you don't have to cook."

"Nah, I'm going to go out and get something. Can I use your shower?"

Oh, he wasn't going to cook. Good. That meant he could rest more without worrying about his kitchen exploding or being forced to eat some inedible concoction that Tsuzuki had come up with. "Go ahead...I'm going back to bed." The younger Shinigami mumbled before shuffling back to his room.

"Alright, I'm gonna get a change of clothes and I'll come back here before I go get breakfast."

"Whatever." Hisoka crawled back into bed and slipped under the blankets. Why didn't Tsuzuki just use his own shower if he was going back to get clothes anyway? His partner was so weird sometimes. Hisoka didn't feel like arguing, however, nor did he really care who's shower he used. All he wanted to do right now was sleep. Within seconds, he was once again fast asleep.

When he woke back up, Tsuzuki was apparently walking in the door. He heard the sound of a paper bag being put down on the kitchen table, followed by Tsuzuki's humming and footsteps. A moment later, he poked his head into Hisoka's room.

"Soka? You awake?"

"Mmm." He rubbed his eyes and sat up. Tsuzuki looked rather happy, for whatever reason. Probably because he got the day out of work. Whatever the reason, hopefully it was genuine.

"Good. I got breakfast, come eat."

After stretching, Hisoka slunk out of bed. He wanted to take a shower first, but he knew Tsuzuki was expecting him to eat before his food got cold. Tsuzuki had already seen him like this anyway, so he supposed he could take one after.

Tsuzuki set the table for the two of them. He had gotten steamed rice and broiled salmon for the two of them. There was enough there for what Hisoka believed could be three or four people, but he was sure there wouldn't be any leftovers. "Take what you want, I'll eat the rest."

"Of course you will, you're like a human garbage disposal when it comes to food." Hisoka said as he sat down. It was odd having Tsuzuki do all of this for him as if it was completely natural, yet it wasn't so bad. He supposed he could let it go just this once.

"Well, I can't let all that good food go to waste!" Tsuzuki sat down opposite Hisoka, waiting for his partner to take what he wanted before filling his plate. He couldn't help but smile. It was nice, being able to have breakfast together like this. It wasn't as if they hadn't shared mornings together before, but that was always in a hotel when they were on a case, never at Hisoka's house. He enjoyed just spending time like this with his partner. It was a nice break, a sense of peace in the midst of the chaos. Hisoka continued to be the anchor that kept Tsuzuki sane. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still a little tired, but fine otherwise."

"Good. Umm...about what happened..."

Hisoka stopped eating and glared at Tsuzuki. He was getting really sick of Tsuzuki constantly blaming himself. "Don't. It's my fault she got to me. It was foolish to attack her out of anger like that."

"I know, I know, but I feel bad for dragging you out with me like that..."

"About that... Tsuzuki, maybe we shouldn't do this anymore. The Shinigami will handle it, and, sooner or later, Ashitarote is going to have to do something about this mess or there are going to be a lot of problems."

"But...Hisoka, I can't do that. The demon that attacked us is dead, she won't be able to kill somebody else before the other Shinigami find her. We can still prevent deaths until this is settled. Besides...I'm not sure it will be settled until I settle it."

Hisoka shook his head. "They'll have to settle it. This won't be allowed to stand much longer. They are disobeying laws by attacking humans, it's not going to keep working. They will be stopped, and they won't be able to pursue you anymore. It's not all left up to you."

Tsuzuki sighed. "I...guess so."

As much as Hisoka wanted to help him, he was starting to get a headache. Would nothing he'd say or do get through to the man? "Stop dwelling on it so much. It's not doing you any good. It will get solved. There's only so much the two of us can do." Hisoka wondered how long he would last against the king of demons if Kurikara helped him fight. Kurikara was one of the most powerful Shikigami in all of Gensoukai, after all, so surely he had a chance of winning. Maybe he could burn Ashitarote to a crisp for putting Tsuzuki through all of this. And then inject him with poison. Maybe cut off a limb or two. Or more, depending on how many limbs he had. He could write his own book called 101 Ways to Torture a Demon, all of the methods tested and certified by the author himself. Yes, that sounded good.

"I guess you're right." Tsuzuki said before taking a bite out if his salmon. "Oh, this is really good."

Hisoka shook his head as his partner proceeded to stuff his face. "You have rice stuck to your lip."

Tsuzuki stopped eating for a moment to lick the grain of rice from his lip, then continued shoveling in his breakfast.

"You're hopeless." The younger Shinigami said with a slight smirk, more amused at this point than annoyed

"You ate everything." Tsuzuki commented as Hisoka finished the last of the food in his plate, happy to see he was eating well. "Good, then you really are feeling better."

Hisoka gave a nod. "I guess I was hungry. What about you?" His expression became more serious as he looked up at Tsuzuki, trying to read the man. There did seem to be an air of contentment around him, but he wanted to be sure it wasn't just a ruse.

"Me? I'm fine."

The answer was one the empath had expected, though he wasn't going to just leave it at that. "Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me, worry about you. I don't plan on doing anything today anyway. I just want today to be relaxing. I know you have recovered, but you could still use the rest." As much as he wanted to get back to solving this nightmare of a case, he knew rushing back in would only make things worse. Seeing Hisoka suffer through so much pain as he had the previous night had forced Tsuzuki to stop and think. While he did still plan to do something about this mess, he knew making a move now would only worsen the situation. He couldn't put Hisoka in danger like that. Perhaps it was selfish, to temporarily abandon the innocent people that could be harmed at any moment in favor of Hisoka, but he wasn't going to do anything that would prevent his partner from being fully rested and healthy. Besides, like Hisoka had said, other Shinigami were working on the case. They would be able to protect the people. Tsuzuki just hoped today would be an uneventful one.

"Tch." The younger man scoffed as Tsuzuki told him to only worry about himself. Talk about being a hypocrite. He didn't say anything about it, however. At least Tsuzuki didn't seem to be planning on doing anything else today. He stood up and placed his dishes in the sink. "I'm going to take a shower. Do whatever you want, just try not to burn my house down."

"Hey." Tsuzuki said through a mouthful of food. He watched Hisoka walk out of the room and sighed. Why did things have to get so complicated? He knew that soon, he was going to have to finally end all of this. The question was: How? How could he do it without hurting Hisoka? It felt like no matter what choice he made, it would be the wrong one. He was either putting Hisoka in danger by continuing on with the case, or annoying and upsetting him by worrying about it when he couldn't do anything. What was the best path to take, the best choice that would allow him to protect not only the humans in the living world, but his partner as well?

One option came to mind: leaving. He could break the partnership and work elsewhere. Then, he wouldn't be able to put Hisoka into danger. He wouldn't be able to hurt him, not physically, not emotionally. But would he be able to go through with that? The thought of breaking their partnership hurt. He didn't know what he'd do without Hisoka. And how would Hisoka feel about it? How upset would he be? But if, in the end, it was what was best for Hisoka...

Tsuzuki shook his head. He couldn't keep thinking about that, there had to be other ways. It was a good thing Hisoka was in another room. The last thing he needed was for the empath to pick up on such thoughts.

After cleaning up his spot, Tsuzuki looked down at the dirty dishes in the sink. There weren't many of them, but they were still there. Normally, he would simply ignore it until the sink was full, but this wasn't his house. Maybe he should do Hisoka the favor and wash them. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.

Without giving it another thought, Tsuzuki filled the sink with water and got to cleaning the dishes.

When Hisoka got out of the shower to find Tsuzuki still in his kitchen, he grew a little worried. "Tsuzuki, what are you doing?"

The older man turned around to see Hisoka now fully dressed, hair still wet, standing in the doorway and suspiciously watching his every move. "Oh, I was just washing your dishes."

"You were...washing my dishes?" Hisoka looked thoroughly confused. Since when did Tsuzuki voluntarily clean? "Why?"

Tsuzuki shrugged. "I thought I'd do you the favor."

"Oh...thanks..."

"You're welcome!"

There was a moment of awkward silence as Hisoka tried to think of what he was supposed to do next. The only time he spent mornings with Tsuzuki was when they were on a case. As it was right now, they had nothing to do. He was taking the day out of work because he'd been called out, and it felt odd staying home now that he felt fine. He thought about sending his partner home, but Tsuzuki had already made it quite clear that he had no intentions of leaving after Watari had told him to keep an eye on him. Well, there was no harm in letting him stay, as long as he didn't start whining that he was bored. "Umm...I think I'm going to read something for a bit. You can watch TV if you'd like."

Tsuzuki had decided to take him up on that offer, and the next hour was spent just like that. The two didn't converse, though they didn't really feel the need to, and Tsuzuki didn't want to interrupt Hisoka's reading. The only sound that came from Hisoka was a yawn. Despite having slept in, he was feeling tired again. It didn't seem anything odd, however, since he had expended quite a bit of energy the previous day, and sitting around reading did sometimes make him feel tired.

When it hit lunch time, he felt even more tired than he had before. He yawned and stretched, trying to shake if off. Perhaps getting up and doing something would help. He decided to make some sandwiches for himself and Tsuzuki. Despite his attempts to keep himself awake, he continued to feel drowsy.

"You seem awful tired today." Tsuzuki said with a slight frown as Hisoka yawned yet again after finishing a sandwich.

"Probably just from the battle yesterday and sitting around so much today."

"Maybe you should take a nap."

As much as he wanted to say he didn't need one, a nap was starting to sound very appealing. Perhaps he would lay down, just for a little while. "Maybe... Are you going to stay?"

"I planned to."

"I'm fine, you don't have to stay. You can go home if you want."

"I still want to stay, just in case. I don't want anything to happen when I'm away."

Hisoka sighed. "Fine, whatever. Make sure I get up in an hour then? I don't want to oversleep."

"Will do."

With that, Hisoka trudged back off to bed. He set his alarm clock to go off within an hour, just in case Tsuzuki lost track of time. Snuggling into the blankets, Hisoka closed his eyes and dozed off.

An hour later, Tsuzuki glanced up at the clock. Realizing the time, he got up from the couch and headed into Hisoka's room. His alarm clock was already going off, but his partner didn't even seem to notice. "Hisoka?"

When he didn't get a response, Tsuzuki walked over to the bed, turned off the alarm clock, and gently shook Hisoka. "Hey, Hisoka, it's been an hour. You wanted me to wake you up." Still no response. Since when did Hisoka sleep so heavily, and in the middle of the afternoon, no less? "Hisoka, wake up!" The continued lack of response was beginning to worry the older man. While it wasn't unusual for Hisoka to be tired, for him to be _this_ tired even after sleeping in and relaxing all day was a little alarming, not to mention he normally would have woken up by now.

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki spoke louder, shaking him a little harder. Finally, he heard a low groan as Hisoka slowly turned to face him.

"Tsuzuki?"

"Hey, you're finally awake. You wouldn't wake up. Are you okay?"

"Fine...just...tired."

Tsuzuki frowned. "Still? Are you sure you're alright?" He held his hand to Hisoka's forehead, wondering if perhaps he had a fever. It was unusual for a Shinigami to be sick, but it was possible, especially since Hisoka was a bit more frail than most Shinigami. Poison was one of those possibilities. Instead of finding a fever, however, he found Hisoka to be unusually cold.

"Your head is a little cold..."

Hisoka held his blankets tightly against him. "I feel cold. Did you turn on the air conditioner or something?"

"No... Is there anything else bothering you?"

"No." Hisoka visibly shuddered, then curled up to try to keep himself warm. "Can you get me another blanket?"

The elder Shinigami was growing increasingly worried. Something definitely wasn't right. It didn't make sense for Hisoka to be so tired and cold. He grabbed another blanket from Hisoka's closet and draped it over him, watching as his partner clutched them as if desperate to warm up.

"I'm calling Watari. Something is wrong."

There was a protest from Hisoka, but Tsuzuki ignored it. After a few rings, Watari picked up his phone. Once informed of the situation, he promised to head over as soon as possible. Hanging up the phone, Tsuzuki walked back into Hisoka's room and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Watari said he'd be right over."

"He doesn't need to come. I said I'm fine."

Looking at Hisoka's face, Tsuzuki could see he was far from fine. "No, you aren't. Hisoka, your lips are turning blue." Now he was getting scared. Lifting the blankets, Tsuzuki slid under them.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Hisoka asked as his partner sat next to him and pulled him closer.

The smaller man's skin was cold to the touch. "You're freezing." He pulled Hisoka against him and closed his hands around his partner's, trying to help warm him up. "This isn't normal. Don't tell me you're fine. My god, why are you so cold?"

"I don't know." Hisoka muttered, giving up on protesting and instead trying to seek warmth from Tsuzuki. "I'm just...so tired...and so cold..."

Tsuzuki began rubbing Hisoka's arms, trying anything he could to warm up the freezing Shinigami. "Try to stay awake until Watari gets here. Please, Hisoka, keep your eyes open." He could hear the fear in his own voice, and he knew Hisoka could sense it. He was afraid of Hisoka falling back asleep, not knowing what was wrong with him and fearing it might be even harder to wake him up from it this time. It took a lot to kill a Shinigami, but they weren't invincible. Even if Hisoka would fully recover, Tsuzuki had to do his best to help him, to save him from as much suffering as possible.

He felt Hisoka shudder violently. He had to find something else to help warm him up. "Do you have a heater of some sort somewhere?"

"In the closet..." Hisoka reluctantly let Tsuzuki go as his partner got up to get the space heater. Once it was plugged in and set up, Tsuzuki got back in bed and once again pulled Hisoka into his lap.

"Is that any better?"

"A little..." Hisoka was trying his best not to seem scared, but he could tell Tsuzuki knew he was. He didn't know what was going on or why. It reminded him too much of all those sleepless nights just before his death, all the days he suffered through after being cursed by Muraki. He remembered feeling cold then too, cold and oh so tired. Eventually, he couldn't fight it any longer, and he succumbed to sleep. But Shinigami couldn't die so easily, right? Why then, did his body seem to be giving out on him?

He didn't want to die. Not now, not when he had something to live for, someone to live for. Who knew what stupid things Tsuzuki would do if left by himself?

"Tsuzuki..." He tried pulling himself closer, though that proved to be impossible, as Tsuzuki was already holding him as close to his body as he could. Head against his chest, he could hear Tsuzuki's rapid heartbeat- he was scared too. It was clear his partner was trying hard to stay calm.

"I'm here. Just hold on, Watari's on his way."

A couple of minutes later, they heard Hisoka's door open, followed by, "Sorry I'm late! What's going on?"

Tsuzuki glanced up at Watari before looking back down at his partner. "I-I don't know. Hisoka said he was tired and took a nap. When I came to wake him up like he asked, he took a while to wake up, and he's freezing. I've been trying to warm him up, but..."

Watari sat on the opposite side of the bed and took hold of one of Hisoka's wrists. "Damn, he is cold. His pulse seems weaker than it should be... Was he cold this morning?"

"He was fine. Well, he was tired at first, but, after what happened, I thought that was normal. It wasn't until this afternoon that he got tired again, and he seemed fine all night."

Watari appeared deep in thought. "That poison may have done more damage than we thought. There may still be some in his body. That, or the damage had already been done by the time we got to him. Either way, it seems to have exhausted him. It's likely that he's cold because all of his remaining energy is being spent on keeping his vitals going. His whole body can't keep itself warm." At this, Hisoka looked at Watari with fearful eyes. He gave Hisoka a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, bon, you'll recover. You can't get rid of us that easily." Looking back at Tsuzuki, he continued, "He should be alright if he rests. Being a Shinigami, his body should be able to fully recover with enough sleep. I'm going to bring him back with me though to monitor him and give him anything else he might need. You're more than welcome to come with me, of course. In fact, I encourage it."

Tsuzuki nodded and unplugged the heater. With that, Watari brought them to his lab where he set Hisoka up with a comfortable bed and warm blankets. He hooked the young Shinigami up to a machine to monitor him.

"Alright, Hisoka. Close your eyes and rest now, you'll be alright. I promise." Watari said, giving him an assenting nod.

Before closing his eyes, Hisoka half-consciously reached for Tsuzuki's hand. The older man grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. "You've been through a lot, just relax now. Watari will make sure everything will be alright." He smiled and brushed Hisoka's bangs out of his eyes. Hisoka gave a hint of a grin in return before letting his eyes close, instantly falling asleep.

Watari watched the two, smiling to himself. "He's grown quite fond of you."

Tsuzuki sighed. "I just wish I did a better job of protecting him."

"We're Shinigami, Tsuzuki. We get hurt on the job sometimes. Hisoka's not a newbie anymore, he can handle himself. There's nothing wrong with wanting to protect him or comforting him when he needs it, but you can't save him from everything."

"But, seeing him like this..."

"I know, I don't like it either. This is a more severe case, but he'll pull through. Stuff happens, it's not always on you to protect everyone. I know you want to- I want to protect my friends too, but sometimes we just can't. Don't forget that he wants to protect you too. Come on, cheer up! He'll be fine. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to him. Now relax. You are welcome to stay here with me if it makes you feel better."

"I think I will...thank you, Watari."

Watari smiled. "Don't mention it." He gave Tsuzuki a clap on the back before doing a more thorough examination of Hisoka.

With the excitement over, Tsuzuki took the time to relax a little. He watched Watari, helping out where possible. Once they were sure nothing more would happen to Hisoka, Watari got them dinner. Afterwards, Watari set up a couple sleeping areas for himself and Tsuzuki. Both planned to sleep in the lab with Hisoka overnight to keep an eye on him. Before calling it a night, Watari checked on the youngest Shinigami one more time.

"He seems stable now." Watari said with a smile. "His temperature's slowly returning to normal and his body seems to be gaining strength back. It'll still be a bit before he'll even wake up, but he'll make a full recovery soon enough."

The news was relieving. Tsuzuki just hoped it remained that way. "Alright. Thank you, Watari."

"Stop thanking me, there's no need. Anyway, I'm gonna turn in for the night. We'll be alerted if anything goes awry with Hisoka, so you can rest too. Do get some sleep, hm? 'Night, Tsuzuki!"

"Goodnight, Watari."

Tsuzuki remained awake even after Watari had fallen asleep. Almost losing Hisoka for the second time in the past 24 hours...it was too much. Even if what Watari said was true, that he couldn't always protect everyone, surely he could do better than he had been doing. But what was he supposed to do? With a heavy sigh, he leaned on one of Watari's desks, elbows propped up and holding up his head. A pile of papers laid nearby. With no real reason, he read over them, wondering if it was something about one of Watari's latest crazy inventions. What he instead found was the latest report from the Shinigami about the case.

Three more humans had been killed. Three. Killed, because the demons were looking for him. Tsuzuki stared at the papers, not wanting to believe it. Perhaps this was an old one? No, it had been printed out shortly before Tsuzuki had called about Hisoka. Then, this was recent. It was another three humans killed, on top of the ones that had already died.

He couldn't take it anymore. Too many people were suffering all because of him. He had to do something...there _had_ to be something more he could do!

His thoughts once again wandered to leaving. But, transferring wouldn't solve the issues because of the case. Who was to say the demons wouldn't continue to seek out Hisoka in order to lure Tsuzuki in? He had to get to the bottom of this.

He had to confront Ashitarote himself.

The thought itself was scary. Going into the demon realm to confront the King of Demons himself, the possibility of having to confront that he himself wasn't fully human, it was terrifying. He didn't want it, he didn't want it at all, but it wasn't as bad as seeing anymore humans die, not as bad as seeing Hisoka suffer.

What would happen once he got to the demon realm, he didn't know, but he had to try. And he had to go alone. This was something he had to do himself. If he took anybody else with him, they would only be hurt. Perhaps...perhaps he would have to finally take up the position he held in the demon realm. If he held the position, there would be no more need to fight for it. There would be no need for the demons to invade the human realm looking for him. Maybe this was the answer he was looking for, the only real way to solve this.

Tsuzuki looked to Hisoka, who was sleeping peacefully. There was no hint of pain on his face. He was in a very deep sleep, no nightmares to disturb him. He knew he'd miss Hisoka. He'd miss everyone, but his partner he'd miss the most. He didn't want to leave, but now was not the time to be selfish. It was for the good of everyone else, for the good of the living, for the good of those he held dear, for the good of Hisoka. They wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Even if Hisoka missed him, he would get a new partner, a more competent one. Somebody more worthy.

He had to do this, and he had to do it now, while he still had the opportunity to sneak away unnoticed. He felt he couldn't just go without leaving anything behind, however. After all, if he just vanished, the others would come looking for him. This time, he couldn't have anybody follow. He likely wouldn't be coming back, as he would either have to take up his position in the demon realm, or would be killed there. He wouldn't tell them where he was going or why, just that he was going, and not to try to look for him. A final apology, and a goodbye to the one person who'd made him feel completely accepted.

Grabbing some piece of scrap paper from the trash, Tsuzuki quickly scribbled down a note and left it on a desk near Hisoka. Whether or not he'd be the first to see it, it didn't matter too much. He'd get the message either way.

Stepping away, he watched Hisoka for a few moments longer. He had to blink away the tears that were stinging his eyes and wipe away those that had already leaked onto his cheeks. "I'm sorry... Goodbye, Hisoka."

With his message left behind, Tsuzuki warped himself to the realm of the living. Getting to the demon realm should be easy enough if he could find the two demons from before that had made an offer to him previously. The problem was actually finding them. Then again, perhaps he didn't have to. He just had to get them to find him, like he had before.

"I'm here!" He yelled out, hoping a demon would hear him. "Come get me!" For several seconds, there was no response. "I'm ready!" He yelled louder, voice echoing in the quiet darkness.

"Ah, Tsuzuki Asato." A feminine voice called out about a minute later. "Were you calling for us?"

Tsuzuki turned around to see just who he was looking for: the fallen angel and nogitsune.

"_I sensed your presence and heard your call." _The notgitusne mentally transmitted.

"Yes...I called for you. I want you to take me to the demon realm. I want to see Lord Ashitarote."


	11. King of Dragons

_Author's Note: Hey, it didn't take me so long to update this time! The chapter after this should be posted fairly quickly as well, since I already have a good portion of it written. I actually had to split the chapter into two, since it turned out to be the length of two chapters rather than one. Thank you to my readers and reviewers! We are nearing the end of this fic, so I hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

The large palace they were standing in front of was not unlike standing in front of Tenkuu. It was massive, and the place itself seemed alive. Unlike Tenkuu, however, it did not seem the least bit friendly. Tsuzuki could feel several pairs of eyes on him. Daring to glance at them for a moment, most of them seemed hostile. He quickly looked down, staring instead at the ground in front of him. It was too late to turn back now though. He had made his decision, and he was going to go through with it.

The reaction from the fallen angel had been almost instant. It had taken no more than three seconds for her to snap her fingers and transport them to the demon realm after Tsuzuki had spoken his request. It had clearly been something she had been waiting for, even expecting.

"Lord Ashitarote will be quite pleased to hear you chose to come see him. Follow me."

"_You fear being attacked. Worry not, for none shall dare attack you as long as we are escorting you. I shall even follow behind you so that none can try to harm you."_ The nogitsune pushed on Tsuzuki's back with his head, nudging him to begin walking. When the Shinigami finally found his legs again, he followed behind, keeping his eyes downcast and not speaking a word.

"_You are going to have to get used to this atmosphere. It will grow less hostile once you assume your position and prove you are a worthy leader, but those who want your position won't hesitate to attack if they see such lack of confidence."_

Tsuzuki bit his lip. A worthy leader was quite the opposite of what he believed himself to be. Still, he had to at least pretend. If it came down to being forced to take the position in order to save the living realm and protect his dear friends, he would do it.

The long, wide corridor eventually led to another large, ornate set of doors. The fallen angel opened them, then turned to Tsuzuki with a smile. "Lord Ashitarote awaits you inside. Please, go in. Your audience with him will be a private one."

Tsuzuki nodded and slowly made his way inside. Once he was past the doors, they were closed. There was no turning back. As he approached the large throne, his heart pounded so hard he wouldn't have been surprised if Ashitarote could hear it.

Sitting on the throne was a very large man. Despite his large robes, it was easy to see he was rippling with muscles. His dark hair was so long that it pooled on the throne he sat upon. His claw-like fingernails looked as if they could easily tear into flesh. Crimson eyes watched the Shinigami, analyzing his every movement.

"Lord Ashitarote..." Tsuzuki spoke out like a mouse standing before a lion, trying to be brave.

"Tsuzuki Asato." Ashitarote's voice was deep and intimidating, but his tone was welcoming. "So good to finally see you."

"I've come to make a personal request for you to put an end to the attacks in the living realm."

"Oh? As you know, Tsuzuki, we have been trying our best to find those responsible and deal with them as fit."

The answer angered Tsuzuki despite his fear of his current situation. "I don't believe you are. People are still dying! This has to be completely stopped!"

"Let me ask you something, Tsuzuki. Why do you care so much for the fates of those who despise you?" The question took Tsuzuki by surprise and he went silent. "You know you don't belong among them. They scorn you, shun you, because you are different. They do not feel for you, and you should not feel for them. You are not one of them. You are not human."

Tsuzuki shook his head. "Th-that's not true! I am...I'm not a demon! I am human!"

Ashitarote laughed. "And what makes you believe that? Your own foolish fears?"

Tsuzuki thought back to the words he so desperately clung to, words he wanted to believe, that had been spoken by somebody he knew wouldn't lie to him. "He said... He said I'm human!"

The laugh was louder this time. "Ah, because a human you hold dear said it, it must be true? He is lying to you, Tsuzuki. You are not human, and you know it. That is why you have come here.

"You know about what happened over 100 years ago, don't you? Demons wishing to overtake the human world posed as them, impregnating human women and bearing half-breed children. The culprits were mostly caught, but it is believed some of the children survived, blending in with society. Some may have died off or been killed for unnatural traits, but some survived and had children of their own. Tsuzuki Asato, your mother was human, your father was a half-breed."

"That...that..."

"Your purple eyes and amazing regenerative abilities are proof of that. You are the descendant of a powerful demon. You are not alone either. The man you know as Muraki has the power to absorb the strength of others in the right conditions. He is the descendant of a powerful incubus. He, however, realized his demonic heritage, and embraced it. You must do so as well."

Despite everything he knew and everything he'd been told, Tsuzuki refused to accept it. He didn't want to accept it. Even if he couldn't get rid of them, he didn't want to utilize his demonic abilities. He didn't want to hurt anyone. "No! I don't want it!"

"You cannot continue to deny yourself, Tsuzuki Asato! You cannot pretend to be someone you aren't! Embrace your demonic blood and assume your position. Your ancestor once held the position Sargantanas gained once he died. You have defeated Sargantanas, and are the rightful heir!"

"No! I...I don't..."

"Why must you suppress your abilities? You could be so much more if you accepted yourself. You use small amounts of your demonic power, but you suppress the part of you that is not human. You only let it peek through when someone is in danger, just like that night when you killed those who killed your sister."

Tsuzuki froze inside, remembering that night that still haunted him. The agony he felt as his sister lost her life in his arms, the sorrow turned to rage at the people who had killed her, the sheer power that coursed through him, then the screams of pain he had inadvertently caused. He didn't mean to kill them. He still couldn't remember all that had happened. Only bits and pieces were there, just like when he was hospitalized for insanity after the event, his brief moments of consciousness the only parts he remembered. It was as if something else had taken over, and Tsuzuki was too blind in his agony to realize what was happening until it was done.

"You remember, don't you? You tried so hard to save her, like an animal trying to help a loved one, you licked her wounds as if to heal them, but she was already dead. So, you sought revenge against those that had ended her life. The power you displayed then is your true strength, the power you are meant to wield!"

"Stop! Stop! I don't want it! I never meant to use it, and I'll never use it again!"

A dangerous glint came into Ashitarote's eyes. "Really now? I wonder if you would still suppress it if that precious partner of yours was in danger."

Tsuzuki's expression quickly changed from fearful, to surprised, then finally angry. He glared up at Ashitarote, eyes promising he would hold nothing back should the King of Demons bring Hisoka into this. "You won't so much as touch him!"

Ashitarote grinned. "That. That is the look I wanted to see. The look of one that would kill to do what was necessary. If you so strongly wish to protect him, then embrace your heritage and become the heir of the demon that you are!"

This was the choice he never wanted to make, the possibility he never wanted to face, but now, he had to. He knew the truth about his heritage- the facts were undeniable. What Ashitarote said fit, Tsuzuki had just been running from it. But now he had to make a choice, and he would protect Hisoka no matter the cost, even if it meant becoming a demon. There was no other way for him.

"...I accept."

A smile spread across the Demon King's face that could unnerve even the strongest of men. "Welcome home, Tsuzuki Asato, King of Dragons."

-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Watari awoke with a yawn. After stretching, he got up and went to check on Hisoka. The empath was still fast asleep, but he seemed to be recovering nicely. His body temperature was normal, and he seemed fine otherwise. Looking around, he found Tsuzuki wasn't in the bed he had set up. More than likely, he was out getting food or something of that sort. With a shrug, the scientist went off to start his day, figuring Tsuzuki would show up soon.

An hour later, Tsuzuki still hadn't shown up. Normally, this wouldn't concern Watari, but it was unusual for Tsuzuki to leave Hisoka behind without an explanation as to where he had gone. Tsuzuki wasn't an early riser either, so him being gone before Watari had gotten up was odd as well. Watari had already informed Tatsumi that Hisoka was still feeling ill and might not make it to work. He did say he wasn't sure if Tsuzuki would show up or not, just that he'd probably be late. Surely he hadn't already gone to work. He had to have gone somewhere though. Maybe somebody else had seen him.

Watari went to his phone and called for Tatsumi. The secretary was a little suspicious of what was going on having Watari call for him after having told him that Tsuzuki may or may not be in. He hadn't seen Tsuzuki, however, nor had the Chief. So he wasn't at work after all.

When Warari got off the phone, he found Hisoka sitting up, awake.

"Where's Tsuzuki?"

"Ah, bon! You're up! How do you feel?"

"I feel fine now, but where's Tsuzuki?"

"I'm not sure, actually. Trying to locate him myself." He walked over to the younger Shinigami and unhooked him from the machine. With Hisoka awake and everything pointing to a recovery, he no longer saw it necessary to keep the young Shinigami so closely monitored.

"I have to find him..."

Watari looked at his friend curiously. "Something wrong?"

"I just...have a bad feeling." The last time Tsuzuki had gotten terribly depressed, Hisoka had sensed it. It affected his dreams. Thinking back, he could recall what he had been dreaming about before he woke up.

Tsuzuki had been sitting there, alone, in the middle of nowhere. As Hisoka called out to him and took a step forward, black wings sprouted from Tsuzuki's back. It was different from when Sargantanas had affected him, however. Unlike back then, he could still feel Tsuzuki. There wasn't a malicious entity posing as him while the real Tsuzuki was trapped inside. This time, he _was_ the demon. His partner had turned to him, eyes full of fear and sorrow, then stood up and walked away, not giving a second look back.

The dream had clearly been telling him something, and it was terrifying.

Hisoka looked around the room while reaching out with his empathy. There were definitely lingering depressed thoughts. Something caught his attention on a nearby table. Looking at a folded-up piece of paper, he saw his name messily scrawled across it. He felt his stomach flip as he picked up the paper and unfolded it, fearing its contents.

_Hisoka,_

_Please don't come looking for me. There's something I must do, and I may not return. I hope you find happiness with a better partner. I'm sorry. Goodbye._

_ Tsuzuki._

The paper shook as Hisoka's hands trembled. Tsuzuki had left. He had really left and had no intentions of returning. Had he really gone to the demon realm? Was he really okay with never coming back? "Idiot...Stupid IDIOT!"

Watari was alarmed by the sudden yell, staring wide-eyed at Hisoka and the paper in his hands. "What's wrong?"

"Tsuzuki, that idiot, he went on his own, he must be trying to end the problems with the demons by himself. Dammit! I have to find him!"

Before Watari had a chance to stop him, Hisoka grabbed the cell phone Tsuzuki had left behind and teleported himself to the living world. He couldn't afford to waste any time. The problem was, how was he going to find Tsuzuki? He didn't have a tracker like his partner did, and he didn't have access to the demon realm. There was no way he could do this on his own. He just hoped the one person that could bring him there would be willing to help him.

Quickly, he dialed Tsukiori's number, pacing around impatiently. After a few rings, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Tsukiori, it's Hisoka. Listen, I need a really big favor. Tsuzuki took off on his own, I think he went to the demon realm."

"Tsuzuki left on his own? Are you sure that's where he went?"

Hisoka grasped the paper he still had stuffed in one of his hands, reading the traces Tsuzuki had left behind. The good thing about his partner being in such an emotional state was that he left behind strong traces of his feelings and thoughts. "Yes. He left a note behind. I can read his thoughts, it has to be where he went. He must have gone to speak to Ashitarote himself. He even mentioned it to me once before, but I didn't think he'd go all by himself..."

"This could be a problem..."

"Please, I need you to take me there! I don't care if you stick around, but you are the only way I can get there! You have access, don't you?"

"I do. But, Kurosaki, the chances of you breaking in and surviving are almost nonexistent. Even if you were to locate Tsuzuki there, the other demons wouldn't let you interfere. They will sniff out the fact you are a Shinigami in an instant."

"I don't care, I have to go!"

"Are you really willing to risk your very existence?"

"Dammit, yes! I'm not going to sit around and wait for somebody else to make a decision! Who knows what's already happened to him!"

There was a moment of silence. Hisoka was ready to ask her again when Tsukiori finally spoke. "Very well. You will need to prepare yourself, however. You will need as many spells as you can bring- going in unarmed would be suicide. Meet me at the same park we met at last time as soon as you are done."

"Fine. See you soon." With that, Hisoka hung up and went back to his house in Meifu. He gathered all of the ofuda spells he had, though, looking over them, there weren't many, nor were they very advanced. Would this really do? Perhaps he could make more. He had seen Tsuzuki do it, so it was worth a shot. He didn't have much time, but he had to prepare at least somewhat if he wanted to save his partner. He knew first hand just how powerful his foes could be, and there was no way he was going to fail to save Tsuzuki.

Spreading out his various spells, Hisoka got to work, using all the knowledge he had about them to start creating his own. Luckily, he had watched Tsuzuki create new spells intently, paying attention to all of his mutterings and listening to his thoughts. He had read books on spells too, and knew a few that he had yet to actually use.

A short while later, he had what he thought was a good arsenal of spells ready. Stuffing them in his pocket, he once again warped himself to realm of the living. When he arrived at the park, Tsukiori was already there.

"Are you sure you are ready?" She asked, studying Hisoka for his reaction.

"Yes."

"Alright. I have a plan, though I'm not sure how far we will get with it. Since I'm one of the few Shinigami that has access, I will try to make it sound as if I was meant to bring you to Ashitarote. Hopefully, that will get us through without many problems. You will be able to pick up on any traces of Tsuzuki, correct?"

Hisoka gave a nod. "Even if it's crowded, it shouldn't be hard. I'm sure his emotions will be broadcast loud and clear." One of the things he had been working on lately was blocking out certain people while seeking out others. It helped him find demons in a crowd of humans, and, in this case, would help him find the human in a crowd of demons.

"Good, then let's go."

Tsukiori took hold of Hisoka's arm and, in an instant, teleported them away.

The scene that suddenly appeared before Hisoka wasn't quite what he had expected. The demon realm wasn't all too different from anything else he'd seen. It looked...civilized. He supposed it shouldn't have been so surprising, since, as Tsuzuki had told him before, they too had rules and regulations to follow. Then again, humans did too, and there were plenty of them that killed without remorse.

The sense of hostility was thick in the air, enough to make Hisoka feel like he wanted to crawl away. No set of eyes that landed on him were the least bit friendly. It was clear they could tell he was not a demon. Luckily, most of the demons left them alone, likely because Tsukiori was with him. She continued to drag him by his arm, keeping up the appearance that they were not necessarily on friendly terms.

"Let me know when you sense Tsuzuki. Just tug me in that direction." Tsukiori mumbled just loud enough for Hisoka to hear, getting a nod in response.

Extending his senses, the empath tried to find any trace of his partner. Unfortunately, the hostile reactions were making it difficult. It was painful to extend as far as he wanted to and hard to concentrate. Still, he pushed his empathy, determined to locate Tsuzuki. When he couldn't find anything, he cursed under his breath.

"He's not around here...do you know anywhere else he might be?"

"We could try for the palace, but that would be quite dangerous."

"I'll go if you don't want to."

Tsukiori gave a soft chuckle. "I don't plan on abandoning you halfway through. Trust me, I know what I'm getting into by taking you here. Let's go."

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

It felt wrong. Sitting on the throne, listening to the reports of the demons he now presided over and issuing them commands, none of it seemed real. He felt detached, as if somebody else was taking control, telling him what to do while he simply performed as instructed. Even though he knew this was the best place for him, the place he could do the least amount of damage, he still felt like he didn't belong.

At least, the reports he was hearing were good ones. The attacks on the human realm ceased, as Tsuzuki was no longer there. The demons had, likely, all returned here. The ones that were caught were being put to death as punishment. Any that weren't caught were likely blending back in. Tsuzuki imagined they would wait for their chance to strike at him again. He was a far easier target now that he lived in the demon realm, and they could attack him at any time. If he were to be killed, his murderer would assume the position. Tsuzuki didn't really care if he was killed. He had nothing more to live for. His partner had provided his one reason for existence, but he no longer had the young man by his side. The others would protect him, of course, and Hisoka was becoming quite strong himself. He'd find another partner, a better one, and would be safe.

The only thing that kept Tsuzuki living now was on the hope that he could protect humans with his position in the demon realm. He would continue to live this way if it meant he could save some lives. It would never make up for all the things he had done in the past, but, at least, it would prevent him from making even more mistakes.

Of course, there was the possibility of Hisoka trying to get him to come back. While Tsuzuki was slightly worried he'd get hurt trying to get into the demon realm, he hoped Hisoka would not come. Even if he did manage, he would be chased from the demon realm before things got bad. Tsuzuki had instructed his demons not to harm any Shinigami that might wander in, but to drive them out of the demon realm. His reasoning for his decision had worked for them- hurting and killing a Shinigami after all that had already happened could cause more problems with Meifu. Even if they were killed for trespassing, it would likely spark something else, especially after demons had invaded the living realm and attacked both the living and Shinigami. While it did make sense, it was also a safety precaution in the event that Hisoka would try to come. If worst came to worst, Tsuzuki would drive him away personally. He hoped, however, it would not come to that, as it would be far too painful.

After the last of the report had been given, Tsuzuki dismissed the messenger. Minutes after he walked out, another demon entered. Its expression, however, was not one of a subordinate relaying information. It was of an enemy.

"Tsuzuki Asato, King of Dragons, I challenge you to a duel!"

The reptilian demon was slender, but did not look any less powerful because of it. Black scales covered its body, a natural shield against any attacks. While its teeth were small, its claws were long. The demon glared at Tsuzuki with yellow eyes, tail thrashing behind it.

Tsuzuki was silent for a moment. He knew what this meant- the demon was formally challenging him for his position. The fight would be one to the death- the victor claiming the throne.

"I do not believe now is the best time for a duel." Tsuzuki stated, wanting to avoid battle.

"Coward!" The demon spat, "Do not tell me now is not the time! It is time whenever I feel like it. I know well the current situation, and I also know I would far better lead in this time than you would! Besides, the demon realm has no place for a human! You who have more human than demon blood, are not fit to rule over the pure-blooded! Fight me, and I'll show you who is really fit to rule!"

By now, a small group was gathering. Nobody was making a move to stop it- fights for power were legal in the demon realm, so long as it was a formal challenge. Tsuzuki also couldn't refuse. Refusal to take part in a duel was seen as fear and weakness, signs that the leader was not fit, and the challenger had every right to attack anyway.

Slowly, Tsuzuki stood and stepped down, coming to even level with his challenger. "I accept your challenge."

The demon hissed, and immediately lunged for Tsuzuki. The Shinigami stepped to one side, avoiding the brunt of the attack, but not the sharp claws that sliced across his arm. As soon as the demon landed, it lunged forward again. The demon was fast, and Tsuzuki was unable to dodge. It clenched down on his shoulder, missing his neck by mere inches. The Shinigami felt claws dig into his sides and rip through his flesh. With a cry of pain, he retaliated, sending out a blast of energy that knocked the demon off of him.

As his foe got back to its feet, it came at him again. Just before it got close enough, Tsuzuki attacked again. Though pushed away, the demon hardly seemed phased.

"Is that the best you can do? You are holding back, Tsuzuki Asato! You are not a worthy leader! You will die here!"

Almost faster than Tsuzuki could see, the demon tackled him, pinning him to the ground. Claws repeatedly slashed at his body as teeth clamped down on his neck. After some struggling, Tsuzuki managed to push the demon off of him. Not giving it another chance, he attacked, the blast so powerful that it tore scales right off of his foe, sending him to the opposite side of the room where it hit the wall, then fell limply to the floor.

Shakily, Tsuzuki got to his feet, staring at the corpse across the room. The demon's neck was broken. Was this really his power? The strength of it scared him. The cheers from around him seemed far away as he realized how destructive he was. As more demons began accepting him as their leader, Tsuzuki knew he would have to lock away his emotions from here on out. He could no longer be the Tsuzuki Asato he wanted to be. He was now only the King of Dragons.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx-

The way to the palace took what felt like forever, at least to Hisoka, who feared every second lost could mean another step closer to losing Tsuzuki forever. Finally, the palace came into sight. The building was huge and ornately decorated. It was actually quite amazing to look at, but now was not the time for sightseeing. Two burly men guarded the double-doors, regarding them with unpleasant expressions.

"Tsukiori Kira, what business do you have here?" One of them boomed, glaring down at Hisoka, clearly suspicious of his presence.

"I have come to speak with Lord Ashitarote. I have something he may want to see." She roughly nudged Hisoka, who stumbled forward slightly.

The guard looked to the other man, questioning whether or not to let them in.

"I need to speak with him, it is concerning Tsuzuki Asato." Tsukiori said before either man had a chance to talk.

"Tsuzuki?" There was a couple seconds of silence before the guard came to a decision. "Go in. You are to wait in the hall until Lord Ashitarote is ready to see you."

With a nod, Tsukiori entered, dragging Hisoka with her.

The size of the palace was quite intimidating. If Hisoka hadn't been confident in his empathy, it would have been doubtful if they would ever find Tsuzuki. Once they were inside, he was able to stretch his senses father, not being assaulted by quite so many hostile feelings. He poured all of his concentration into searching for a trace of his partner, sifting through thoughts of all the other demons that had passed by since then. There! Amongst the large amount of superiority, he could feel one trail of inferiority, a feeling he felt all too many times in his partner. There was a fear there as well, and he knew Tsuzuki was terrified to be here. He had to save him as quickly as possible.

"He's been here." Hisoka mumbled, trying to follow the traces Tsuzuki had left behind. "Give me a moment, I'll figure out which way he went..."

Tsukiori slowed, trying to give Hisoka time without stopping completely and looking suspicious. The empath gently tugged Tsukiori in the right direction. Staying on the trail was difficult, but he was determined.

As they turned a corner, Hisoka spotted the nogitsune that had confronted him and Tsuzuki before. He eyed the pair and began walking in their direction. Hisoka could read his thoughts: he knew they weren't supposed to be there, and he was intent on stopping them.

Hisoka swore under his breath. "He knows we're up to something. He's dan-" his words were cut off as the nine-tailed fox assaulted him mentally. He yelped in pain and threw up his mental defenses, trying to protect himself.

"_You aren't supposed to be here, Shinigami. I can read your mind. You will not see Tsuzuki-sama"_

"Where is he?"

"_You do not need to know, for you will not be seeing him."_

Hisoka cried out in pain as the nogitsune attacked him again. While he tried to strengthen his defenses, the fox demon was always a step ahead of him, breaking through his barriers and assaulting him relentlessly.

"Stop!"

At the sudden command, the attack completely ceased. Hisoka groaned as the pain gradually receded to a dull headache. He glanced up and gasped at the person he saw standing behind the nogitsune.


	12. Escape

_Author's Note: Gah, to my readers, I'm sorry! I said this update wouldn't take long, but I ended up taking over a month to update it anyway. OTL Student teaching ended up taking up my time and I wasn't able to work on this. And then, when I did get to working on it, I ended up rewriting almost the entire chapter. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! Thank you to those who are still reading and to those who reviewed last chapter! The next one will be the last. I am, however, considering a sequel. Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

Tsuzuki did not look like himself. Instead of the usual suit he sloppily wore, he was clad in long, dark robes. Deep purple patterns lined the black fabric, a purple sash tied around his waist. But, even more than the change in clothes was Tsuzuki's face. He held a hard, stern expression that looked completely foreign to Hisoka. It was an expression that didn't fit on the normally compassionate man's face. Looking at it both scared and deeply troubled Hisoka.

As his partner glanced at him, the empath felt a burst of sorrow and regret peek through his otherwise carefully guarded composure, but that was quickly locked away, leaving Hisoka to feel nothing from the older man.

"_Tsuzuki-sama..."_ The nogitsune bowed his head in respect, transmitting to both Tsuzuki and Hisoka. _"This boy shouldn't be here. He is an intruder with ill-intent."_

"Tsuzuki!"

Tsuzuki held his hand up, silencing both the demon and Hisoka. "I will deal with him personally. Please, return to your regular duties." After dismissing the nogitsune, Tsuzuki turned his head in Hisoka's direction, though his eyes were looking elsewhere. "Come with me."

Confused and frightened, but determined, Hisoka followed his partner through a pair of large doors at the end of the hall. They closed behind them, giving them privacy from the demons. It wasn't until now that Hisoka realized Tsukiori was no longer with him.

"You shouldn't be here." Tsuzuki said, back turned to Hisoka.

"Tsuzuki, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm doing what I have to do. This is my place. The demon realm has the leader they were seeking. They won't be bothering the humans or you Shinigami any longer."

The way Tsuzuki addressed the Shinigami as something he no longer was stabbed at Hisoka. Not only had he left Meifu, but he was no longer even considered himself a Shinigami. He had worded his sentence, whether purposely or unconsciously, in a way that cut his ties from everyone- humans, demons, and Shinigami. He was completely isolating himself.

"You idiot..." Hisoka clenched his fists, shaking from the intense mass of emotions he was personally feeling. "What makes you think you can just up and leave us? What could possibly have possessed you to walk away like that?"

"I don't belong in Meifu. This is the best place I can possibly exist. Now, please leave. You can report what's happened to the Chief, let them all know." Though Tsuzuki was trying to suppress his emotions, Hisoka could hear his voice shake. He couldn't see the man's face, but he knew the mask had cracked, revealing the pain his partner was trying keep hidden.

"I'm not leaving without you. Stop being stupid and come back with me!"

"I said go!" Tsuzki yelled, still not turning to look at Hisoka. The despair in his voice was clear now, and Hisoka knew he had lost his composure.

"No." Hisoka said simply, taking a step forward. "You don't know what you are doing. I'm not leaving you."

It was taking all Tsuzuki had not to break down. His confrontation with Hisoka was becoming too much to handle, his emotions warring with each other, tearing him apart from the inside. "I do know what I'm doing! Now get out! Go! I don't want to see you ever again!" His voice cracked at the last sentence, the weight of his own words crushing him.

Hisoka froze, staring at the back of Tsuzuki in disbelief. Never did he think he would hear those words from Tsuzuki. Even knowing it wasn't what Tsuzuki truly wanted, it hurt. Still, he knew it was hurting his partner to say such a thing. He could feel it in his partner's emotions, which were no longer locked away.

As he opened his mouth to respond, the sounds of the doors behind him being thrust open interrupted him. Just as he turned around, two pairs of strong arms grabbed him, yanking him back.

"Under orders of Lord Ashitarote, you are to be apprehended for trespassing, Shinigami."

Tsuzuki turned around, alarmed at the sudden intrusion. "Let him go!"

One of the demons looked up at him, cold yellow eyes showing no respect for his ranking. "Do you dare defy the orders of Lord Ashitarote?"

"I...what are you going to do with him?"

"He is to be locked up while the Shinigami Realm is contacted. Normally, he would be executed, but Lord Ashitarote wishes to avoid further conflict."

"There's no need. I already spoke with him, and he was just about to leave."

One of the demons laughed. "It doesn't matter whether or not you spoke to him. Lord Ashitarote's orders are absolute, and he will not be allowed to simply leave after breaking in to the demon realm unauthorized. He is lucky he isn't killed on the spot."

"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka yelled, trying to pull away from his captors, only to find himself yanked back and the grip on his arms painfully tightened.

For a second, Tsuzuki glanced at Hisoka, then quickly averted his eyes, looking instead at the demons. "If he is harmed, we would face retaliation from Meifu. It would be best if he was released as soon as possible and let go, unharmed."

"The Shinigami will be held captive until a representative from Meifu comes to retrieve him. If he cooperates, then he will be fine. Should we not receive an answer, however...he will be killed."

Tsuzuki knew that, if Meifu was contacted about this, at least Tatsumi and Watari would make sure he was safely returned to Meifu. He feared the repercussions Hisoka might face, though it couldn't be worse than anything he himself had ever done. As much as it hurt him to do this, perhaps it was the best way. It made sense for Lord Ashitarote to not harm Hisoka in order to avoid further conflict with Meifu. If Hisoka wouldn't be hurt at all, it seemed like the best option. Despite Tsuzuki's position, his word meant nothing against Ashitarote's, and he feared what the Demon King might do to Hisoka should Tsuzuki disobey him. In speaking out on Hisoka's behalf and trying to help him, he could possibly inadvertently make the situation worse. All he could do was allow Hisoka to be locked up and make sure nothing happened to him until he was safely back in Meifu.

As the demons began dragging Hisoka away, Tsuzuki said nothing. He couldn't watch, and he didn't trust himself to open his mouth to say anything.

Hisoka struggles were futile against the demons, and all he could do was desperately yell out for his partner. "Ts-Tsuzuki! You idiot! You don't know what you are doing! Listen to me, Tsuzuki! Come back to us! TSUZUKI!"

The younger Shinigami's cries were cut off as the doors slammed shut behind them. Silence once again fell upon the room as Tsuzuki stood there, alone. Whether he had made the right decision, he didn't know. It seemed like the best way, yet he knew it still wouldn't be easy for Hisoka.

Tsuzuki cursed himself. Even having left Meifu, he still continued to cause problems. He sank to his knees and sobs wracked his body. As much as he tried to remain emotionless, he couldn't deny the pain he felt for Hisoka. He slammed his fist against the stone floor, cursing his very existence. It seemed that, no matter what, something bad would always happen.

Though, at least Hisoka had a chance. He would still be safe. Tsuzuki hoped that, perhaps now, Hisoka would give up on him. If Hisoka didn't associate with him anymore, then the younger man would be free from the danger he was put in by just being around Tsuzuki. He hated hurting Hisoka, but, in the long-run, it would be better for the empath, and that was what was important. In the meantime, Tsuzuki would have to do all he could to ensure he made it safely back to Meifu.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Hisoka yelped as he was tossed roughly into a cell. The door was locked, and the demons walked away, laughing. The Shinigami leapt to his feet and pulled out an ofuda. Aiming to break the door down, he released a burst of energy. All his attack managed to do, however, was kick up dust and alert the demons in nearby cells. There was some angry growling accompanied by hysterical laughter.

A demon in one of the cells across from Hisoka stood at the bars of his own cell, looking at him with a crazed smile. "Look at the little Shinigami, trying to break free. These cells are reinforced so that not even demons can sneak out. There's no way a tiny thing like you could break it! Hah hah hah!"

Tossing a glare at the demon, Hisoka only managed to make it laugh harder until it doubled over, holding its stomach. Infuriated, the Shinigami kicked a wall, stubbing his toe and frustrating him further. With an aggravated cry, he let himself drop to the ground in a corner, brought his legs to his chest and buried his face in his knees. He absolutely hated being so powerless, being trapped in a prison cell, and in the demon realm, no less. It wasn't as if he was unused to being locked up- most of his childhood was spent in a cell. What frustrated him even more, however, was Tsuzuki.

What was the man thinking? He didn't belong with the demons, he belonged in Meifu. How could he just stand there and completely ignore everything Hisoka was saying to him? After all they had been through, was this really the choice he would make?

The empath had been able to sense the conflict within Tsuzuki. He knew his partner didn't want to be doing all of this, but then why was he?

"_I don't want to see you ever again!" _

It was something Hisoka never thought he'd hear come from Tsuzuki's mouth. He didn't believe it, as he could feel the despair from his partner as it was spoken, but the fact was that he'd still said it. Was he so desperate to get Hisoka to leave that he was willing to completely cut ties with him?

Had this happened earlier in their partnership, Hisoka would have given up. He would have left Tsuzuki here and let their partnership be severed. But, this was not back then. He couldn't leave the distraught man here. He couldn't abandon the person he needed most in his life. Despite what had happened, he still had to try. Before he left the demon realm, he would be sure to bring Tsuzuki to his senses. He'd get his partner back to Meifu if he had to tie him up and physically drag him back. Until he saw Tsuzuki again, however, he could only wait for a chance to make a move.

-xxxxxxxxxxxx-

Night had fallen, and Tsuzuki had retired to bed. The last thing he could do, however, was fall asleep. Events from the day replayed over and over in his mind as he tried to figure out what to do. Images of Hisoka locked in one of the cells kept haunting him, and to know he had condemned his partner to that was tormenting him. But, this was the best way, wasn't it? Hisoka wouldn't be hurt, and he'd return to Meifu. Then, he would forget about Tsuzuki, and they would all move on like he was never there. But, how could he be sure nothing would happen to Hisoka in the meantime? While he believed Hisoka wouldn't be harmed in order to avoid conflict with Meifu, what if they thought of an excuse to harm him? Ashitarote had quite clearly threatened Tsuzuki with Hisoka's well-being, and now the Demon King had exactly what he needed to keep Tsuzuki from stepping out of line.

It was late, and Hisoka should be asleep by now. Perhaps he could just check in and make sure nothing had happened.

Tsuzuki got up, and quietly began making his way to the prison cells in the basement of the palace. Luckily, there weren't many guards in the actual palace itself- the protection outside of the palace was enough for keeping out any intruders. He knew where the ones nearest him were, so it was easier to avoid them. The main problem would be getting past the guards of the prison.

Before he had time to think up an excuse for his being there, he was already down the basement stairs and at the entrance to the prison.

"Halt! What reason do you have for being here?"

Tsuzuki froze and turned to the guard that was addressing him. "Er...um, I've come to speak with the Shinigami that intruded earlier."

The burly demon's cold gaze didn't let up. "We have received orders from Lord Ashitarote to let none see him unless otherwise instructed. Not even yourself."

"I wanted to make sure he fully understood the conditions. I wasn't able to give a full explanation earlier before he was apprehended. I thought that, if I explained what was going on, he would be less likely to cause trouble so that he would be safely returned to Meifu." The explanation did make some sort of sense, or so he hoped. He actually had no plans of speaking with Hisoka- he believed it would lead to more harm than good- but he wanted to make sure he was still unharmed.

The guard looked at Tsuzuki for a long moment before speaking again. "If you do anything other than your stated intentions, I will make sure you are removed and Lord Ashitarote is informed. I will let you by, but, regardless of your rank, I do not fully trust you, Shinigami."

Tsuzuki gave a small nod and walked forward. He was glad for the darkness in the prison, as it would hopefully prevent Hisoka from recognizing him. Making sure he kept his thoughts and emotions behind a thick wall, he glanced through the cells, searching for Hisoka's. He found the young Shinigami near the back, curled up in a corner on the floor, asleep.

The scene was a painful one to witness. Tsuzuki could only hope that Meifu sent somebody to come get him soon. Walking up to the bars, Tsuzuki leaned his forehead against one of them, still wondering what his best course of action was as he looked upon the person locked up, the person he cared for more than anything.

Hisoka suddenly stirred, and, before he had time to react, emerald eyes locked with amethyst, and Tsuzuki froze. He slowly stepped back, ready to run away, when Hisoka lunged forward, grabbing hold of his wrist through the bars.

"Tsuzuki, you moron!" Hisoka hissed, trying not to yell loud enough to gain the attention of the demons, but also unable to keep his voce at a whisper. "What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"I...I want you to understand...that you are not to do anything. You're going to be picked up and brought back to Meifu safely. If you cooperate...then nothing bad will happen...you'll go back where you belong...safely." Tsuzuki was trying his best to keep emotion out of his voice, though it was near impossible for him to not show some form of concern.

_'Dammit, idiot! Listen to me!'_

Tsuzuki stared, having heard Hisoka's voice despite the fact the young man clearly hadn't said anything. It was like before, when they first started the case and he had heard Hisoka's thoughts, much to the empath's surprise.

For a moment, Hisoka was confused at Tsuzuki's confusion before he was able to pick up on his thoughts.

_'You...heard me?'_

"Yes..."

Hisoka's grasp on his partner's wrist tightened. He assumed the physical contact was what was helping him to transmit his own thoughts, similar to how it enhanced his ability to read the thoughts of others. Why it was working, he wasn't sure. It wasn't the first time, however, as he, too, remembered when it had happened at the beginning of their case, and when they had been able to converse mentally when they first met after they had synchronized their powers. It was something he had only done with Tsuzuki. '_If you can hear me, then listen to me! Stop being a total moron and come back with me!'_

_'I...I can't. Please, Hisoka, just forget about me and go! I told you, I...don't want to see you anymore!'_

_'Then why are you here? If that was true, you wouldn't have come! You could have just sent one of the other demons to give me your message! If you don't want to see me, then you could just walk away and leave me here!'_

Tsuzuki stepped back, causing Hisoka to slacken his grip. "Just...do as I say. You'll be picked up soon."

Hisoka thought Tsuzuki might actually walk away, but, despite the man's attempts to put distance between them, he was still within grasp. '_You don't know what you are doing!'_ Hisoka transmitted, regaining his grip on Tsuzuki's wrist. '_You think this is going to solve everything, but you're only seeing half of it! You're so busy focusing on the worst things that could possibly happen that you aren't doing what you really want to do! I won't let you push me away. I don't care what you say, I'm not leaving here without you!'_

The younger man's stubbornness was completely breaking what little resolve Tsuzuki had. The force behind his words was too strong to ignore. Did Hisoka, then, need him after all?

_'I won't abandon you.'_

"What's going on?" A booming voice suddenly called out, breaking the mental connection the two Shinigami were sharing.

"I-I was just talking to-"

The guard walked up to the pair and took hold of Hisoka's hand. "Here, let me help you." Wrenching his hand away form Tsuzuki, the demon snapped four of Hisoka's fingers, causing him to cry out in pain as he withdrew his arm.

Tsuzuki turned to the guard. "What- what are you doing?"

"Helping the Shinigami keep his hands to himself."

"I gave no order for you to touch him!"

"Lord Ashitarote gave us permission to do what was necessary to keep the Shinigami in line. You spoke to him, did you not?"

"I did, but-"

"Then your business here is done. Please return to your chamber, _Tsuzuki-sama_." The demon regarded Tsuzuki in a mocking tone, clearly not accepting his position among them.

Hisoka made a move to grab for Tsuzuki again, but the demon grabbed his arm, this time breaking his wrist. "Know your place, Shinigami!"

Unable to see Hisoka hurt any longer, Tsuzuki retaliated on the demon with an attack of his own, knocking it back to the ground.

"Leave him alone!"

"You disgusting half-breed! You dare oppose the word of Lord Ashitarote? I will kill the both of you right here!"

Realizing what was going to happen, Tsuzuki turned his attention back to Hisoka before the guard had a chance to get back up. "Hisoka, stand back!" As soon as his partner had gotten out of the way as much as possible, Tsuzuki summoned up enough strength to blast the cell door apart. "Get out of here! I'll hold them off, but you have to go_ now_!" He knew his actions would be seen as betrayal against Ashitarote, and, whether the Demon King wanted him to keep the position or not, Hisoka would not make it out unharmed. His actions would be taken as assault, and he could then be executed.

"I told you, I'm not leaving!"

"You'll be killed!"

"I'm not abandoning you, Tsuzuki! I told you before, and I'll tell you again: I'll follow you wherever you go. I won't leave you!"

"Hisoka..." Tsuzuki remembered back to Kyoto, when his partner had gone through hellfire just to tell him that he cared. Hisoka had knowingly risked his life to get to him, and even accepted the possibility he could die. He had told Tsuzuki that he _did _belong somewhere, that, even if there was nowhere else for him to go, he could stay with Hisoka. That the only place Hisoka belonged was in Tsuzuki's heart. To try push him away, even for his own protection, had been a terrible mistake. Now, once again, his partner was risking his life to bring Tsuzuki back with him, or die trying.

"You realize we could both die here, right?"

Hisoka looked the older man dead in the eyes. "You realize I don't care, right?" It wasn't dying with Tsuzuki that he feared- it was living without him.

"Pathetic Shinigami!" The demon roared. By now, the other guard had come to see what was going on. Both demons rushed forward. Before they could get close enough, Tsuzuki summoned up enough power to knock the both of them back to near the end of the hall. As soon as they were out of the way, Hisoka grabbed the older man by the hand and pulled him forward, once again making it clear that he was taking Tsuzuki with him no matter what.

The two ran up the stairs and down the corridor, hoping to make it out before any more demons got in their way. Not knowing the layout, Hisoka had let Tsuzuki take the lead. Their escape was blocked by a group of demons. As they turned around to try to find another route, they found the demons had converged on them from that side as well, effectively trapping them. Tsuzuki and Hisoka found themselves back-to-back, outnumbered and out-powered.

The nogitsune that had stopped Hisoka before stepped forward, transmitting to both Shinigami. _"Tsuzuki Asato, you have betrayed us all. For treason against Lord Ashitarote, you will be executed."_

Without waiting another moment, the fox demon attacked both Shinigami at once. Tsuzuki quickly retaliated, sending out an attack that interrupted the nogitsune. Realizing they wouldn't last long at all against the demons, Hisoka quickly raised a shield using a spell he had created before coming.

"Can we summon Shikigami in the demon realm?" Hisoka asked quickly.

"Yes, but it will take more energy than it would normally."

"Then I'm going for it. Take this." Hisoka handed his partner the ofuda, the exchange causing a temporary lapse in the shield. It was strengthened again before the demons could do damage, however. The strength of the shield impressed Tsuzuki- it was clearly not a basic spell, and he recognized the writing on the slip of paper to be Hisoka's. He realized his partner had created his own, powerful defensive spell, and was quite impressed. It was not the time to discuss that, however.

As Hisoka was busy summoning his Shikigami, the demons increased their offense, hoping to stop him before the Shikigami was called. Despite Tsuzuki's best efforts to improve its defense, the shield was cracking. It was quickly reaching its limit, and once it was broken, the demons would have time to attack them directly before another shield was raised.

Just before the barrier shattered, Hisoka finished the summons. Kurikara appeared with a mighty roar, causing all of the demons to step back, surprised. At Hisoka's command, the Shikigami attacked, sending a mighty blast that incinerated many of the demons before him almost instantly. Some that were spared ran away in fear.

The nogitsune, having been on the other side, quickly launched a powerful mental attack on Hisoka. The Shinigami cried out, the pain from the attack breaking his concentration and causing his connection with Kurikara to begin to falter.

"Fool! Don't be so weak!" Kurikara roared, pulling on Hisoka's energy in order to maintain his presence in the demon realm. The combination of the extra energy being drained from him and the mental assault was putting a large strain on Hisoka. As much as he tried to hold his concentration, he was finding it difficult to focus on anything. If it continued any longer, he felt his head might explode from all of the pressure.

Realizing what was going on, Tsuzuki turned his attention to the fox. A blast of his own caused the nogitsune's attack to cease, sparing Hisoka and Kurikara. Angered, the dragon retaliated. With a cry, the nine-tailed fox was killed.

With all of the demons either killed or having retreated to find reinforcements, the path was momentarily clear.

"Hisoka, we have to go now! We can't stay in this palace!"

Hisoka took a moment to respond, trying to catch his breath. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere away from Ashitarote. We have to avoid facing him!"

With a nod, the younger Shinigami turned toward his Shikigami. "Kurikara, I need you to get us out of here."

While the idea of ferrying two Shinigami around wasn't exactly an appealing one, he couldn't ignore the command of his master. "Get on."

Lowering himself to the ground as much as he could, he let the Shinigami get on his back. After Hisoka had climbed on, he reached out his hand, helping his partner up. He gripped Kurikara as best he could while Tsuzuki wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Hold on tight." With both men settled, Kurikara took off, speeding through the large corridors, tail slamming into walls and pillars on the way, leaving a broken trail in his wake. Demons that had been on their way to try to stop them had to dive out of the way as the mighty dragon flew by. In a matter of seconds, Kurikara had shot out of the entrance to the palace, taking to the sky.

They flew a good distance in silence before Hisoka finally found a spot to land that he deemed safe and had Kurikara take them down to the ground. As he dismissed Kurikara, he stumbled, Tsuzuki being the only thing that kept him from falling.

"Are you alright?" Tsuzuki asked, keeping his hands on his partner's shoulders as he stood.

"Yeah...just a little tired...I'll be fine, don't worry about it." He looked around with a frown. They were in the middle of nowhere- the palace was just a speck in the distance- and he had no clue how to get back to the living realm. "Tsuzuki...do you know how to get out of here?"

"No...don't you?"

Hisoka shook his head. "Tsukiori helped me get here, but I don't know where she went." He suddenly grew alarmed at what could have happened. What if she had gotten captured? He wanted to make sure she was alright, but he couldn't leave Tsuzuki. Tsukiori had said that she knew what she was doing- he hoped she was right.

"We'll have to hide out here until we can find a way back." He regarded his partner for a moment, who was silently staring at the ground. His thoughts were all over the place, but regret and self-hatred were loud and clear. "Tsuzuki, are you alright?"

"Hisoka...I...you..."

Stepping forward, Hisoka closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his partner. "Don't do that to me ever again. Don't leave me again. We're going back to Meifu, the both of us." Hisoka simply stood like that, happy just to have his partner back, to be so close to him. Too many times he had almost lost the one person he'd ever allowed to get close. He couldn't let that happen anymore.

"Hi-Hisoka..." Tsuzuki wrapped his arms tightly around the younger man. "I-I'm sorry, I..."

Before another word could be said, Hisoka abruptly pulled back and swore, alarming Tsuzuki. "They found us."

Turning around, Tsuzuki saw a large group of demons making their way towards them. There were enough to comprise a small army. Escaping by air wouldn't be possible this time- some of the demons could fly as well, and Tsuzuki knew they were swift. This time, there was no escape.


	13. Home is Where the Heart is

There were far more demons than the two of them could handle, and, while Shikigami would help, Tsuzuki wasn't sure Hisoka would be able to handle summoning Kurikara again. The last summon seemed to have tired him out, and it would be dangerous to summon again when Hisoka was already low on energy.

"We have to find a way out of here. We can't fight this many!"

Hisoka shook his head, refusing to surrender. "I'm not going to give up. I don't care what it takes- I'm getting you back to Meifu!" He brought his hands together, ready to summon Kurikara again, when Tsuzuki grabbed his wrist.

"Wait! You already expended a lot of energy last time, summoning him again so quickly is dangerous. I'll take care of it."

"Tsuzuki! Kurosaki!"

Both Shinigami stopped what they were doing and turned around. Tsukiori (who had seemingly just warped into the demon realm) ran up to them, and was suddenly grabbing Hisoka's hand. "We're leaving."

Hisoka quickly grabbed onto Tsuzuki, and, in an instant, they were teleported out of the demon realm, reappearing amongst the living.

No sooner had they arrived than a voice spoke up from behind them. "'Bout time you two showed up."

Turning around, the pair spotted Terazuma and Kannuki, much to their surprise.

"Terazuma? Wakaba? What are you two doing here?" Tsuzuki questioned.

"We're here to help your sorry ass." Terazuma grumbled, spitting out the cigarette that had been in his mouth.

Looking around, Tsuzuki and Hisoka noticed they weren't the only ones that had come. Watari greeted them with a friendly wave while Tatsumi gave a nod.

"What's going on? Why are you all here?" Hisoka asked, thoroughly confused.

"Well," Watari began, "Once you left, bon, Tsukiori here came to tell us what had happened."

Tsukiori gave a nod. "I'm sorry to have left you, but I thought you'd be alright for a little while as long as you were with Tsuzuki. I had to take advantage of the distraction to get out of there and tell the others what had happened. While you were getting your partner, we were preparing for battle with the demons."

The last statement worried Tsuzuki. "Preparing for battle? What do you mean?"

"There was information from the other Shinigami sent out on this case that the situation was growing worse than had been anticipated. While Ashitarote was waiting for Tsuzuki to either give in or be killed, other demons were preparing an uprising. These past few years have been a mess for the demons. Many questioned their government since a Shinigami lawfully held such a high position in the demon realm. What upset them further was that you had no intentions of claiming it. The demons were clever about it, however, and their attempts on your life were well executed- Ashitarote couldn't pinpoint which demons were doing it, where they were or where they would strike next. While some of them he was able to catch, others were getting away with it.

"With this incident, it is quite likely demons will go all-out in their attempts to kill you, as well as take over the human realm."

This news horrified Tsuzuki. In his attempts to avoid any more bloodshed, he inadvertently caused more. "I...I..."

"Don't worry, Tsuzuki, it's not your fault." Tsukiori said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Something like this was bound to happen, but many were blind to it. Nobody expected this to happen. You realized things wouldn't be solved so easily and did what you thought you had to. The demons have been planning this for a while. What you can do now, Tsuzuki, is stay and fight if you want to protect. The demons will come looking for you. What they won't expect is for the rest of us to be here."

"A shield has been placed around this area." Watari said, giving Tsuzuki a reassuring smile. "It will make us and the demons invisible to any human that happens to wander by. This is a pretty abandoned area, but, just in case, we've set up safety precautions. And, of course, any humans who may wander in will be protected and have their memories wiped."

Kannuki skipped over to Tsuzuki and handed him a handful of ofuda. "Here! I brought extra since I figured you wouldn't have any on you."

Tsuzuki took the spells with a small smile. "Thank you, Wakaba."

"Get ready." Tsukiori said, looking around. "They could be here at any moment."

The air had been tense before, but it was even more so now. Hisoka tried his best to keep out the emotions of the others in order to sense any nearby demons before they could attack. They stood there for what felt like hours in silence, shifting uncomfortably, though it had only been a minute.

A sudden surge of malicious intent hit Hisoka all at once. He wanted to call out a warning, but all that came out of his mouth was a yelp. That seemed to be enough for the others, however. Terazuma transformed just as a mass of demons appeared all around them. As soon as one of the demons spotted Tsuzuki, it lunged, two dog-like heads ready to tear him apart. Tatsumi was first to react, knocking the demon back with Tsuzuki's own shadow.

After that single attack and retaliation, the rest of the demons followed.

The Shinigami were easily outnumbered, but were holding up well against their enemies. Due to the fact most of them were focusing their attacks on Tsuzuki, it left the others more able to defend him. Once the demons realized how many Shinigami they were fighting, however, they changed tactics. While most of the group still focused on Tsuzuki, at least one other demon would focus on a specific Shinigami and attempt to prevent them from helping their main target.

A feline-like demon leaped at Tsuzuki. Fortunately, the Shinigami saw the attack coming, and quickly retaliated, knocking the demon back before it was able to reach him. Not a second after he'd done that, he heard a loud roar from right behind him. Turning around, he found himself facing a large serpent that was flying right at him. He moved to avoid the attack, but the demon still caught his shoulder in its teeth. The demon pulled Tsuzuki along with him before swinging its head violently, sending Tsuzuki flying and all but tearing the man's arm off.

Hearing Tsuzuki's cry, Hisoka looked around for him. He found his partner laying a good distance away, holding his bloodied arm as it laid uselessly at an awkward angle beside him. As Hisoka rushed over to help, the same serpent that had attacked Tsuzuki blocked his path.

"Get out of my way!" A blast from the Shinigami damaged the demon, but it held its ground. It roared in anger and reared back to attack Hisoka. Before either had another chance to attack, his shadow rose up and pierced through the demon's chest, causing it to fall back with a cry of pain. Yelling a thanks to Tatsumi, Hisoka passed his opponent and continued over to his partner.

As he knelt down beside Tsuzuki, he could see just how bad the injury was. While it wasn't something that a Shinigami couldn't recover from, it was still serious enough to need to be healed quickly, lest Tsuzuki be out of commission for a while. His arm was almost completely severed off. The bleeding was beginning to slow, but it was still trickling down his arm, soaking his clothes and staining the ground. The sight made Hisoka queazy, but there wasn't time for him to let that get in his way.

"Hold on, Tsuzuki, I'll help." Quickly, Hisoka began healing his partner, pouring as much energy into it at once as he could. As the bleeding stopped and the flesh began mending, Tsuzuki felt the pain slowly start to recede. He looked up at Hisoka and his eyes widened.

"Hisoka!"

There wasn't time to react before the demon that had snuck up behind Hisoka attacked. Razor-sharp feathers flew towards them. Just before the attack hit them, it was deflected by an invisible shield. Looking up, Hisoka found Kannuki standing nearby.

"Don't worry, we've got you covered! Just help Tsuzuki!" She said with a smile.

Hisoka gave a nod. "Thank you, Kannuki."

Before the large bird-like demon had another chance to attack, Kuroshungei tackled it, tearing into it with powerful claws. Once that opponent was down, he moved on to the next one, defeating any demon that was aiming to take Kannuki down to get to Tsuzuki.

"How's that?" Hisoka asked once Tsuzuki's arm had been healed.

"Good as new. Thank you, Hisoka. And thank you too, Wakaba."

Kannuki smiled. "Don't mention it!"

"I'm alright now, you should go help the others."

With a nod, Kannuki lowered the barrier and ran off to assist Tsukiori, who was fighting a small group of demons on her own.

"Tsuzuki Asato." A familiar female voice said, getting the attention of both Shinigami. Before them stood the fallen angel. Her voice was filled with hatred. "You have betrayed us. As a fugitive demon, I've come to deal your punishment. You will come back with me, or die here."

Hisoka stood up, keeping himself between the demon and his partner. "He's not a demon, and he's not going anywhere."

"You're a fool, boy. You will fall with him." Her wings flared out with a pulse of energy, almost knocking Hisoka back. Before either Shinigami could react, a dark energy wrapped itself around Hisoka, burning through his skin.

"Leave him alone!" Tsuzuki yelled, pulling out one of the ofuda Kannuki had handed to him earlier and attacking the demon. "It's me you are after, not him!"

The fallen angel deflected the attack. "If he stands in the way, then he will be killed as well. Now, you can come back with me and end this fighting, or you can stay here and it will continue until you are killed. What shall it be?"

"The fighting won't stop. I tried putting an end to it, but even if I do hold the position, some of the demons won't be satisfied. They hate somebody like me being there. Even if they kill me, others will find another excuse within the mess to invade the human world and try to take it over. Too many people have died because of this. I won't let you hurt anyone else." Tsuzuki attacked again, but this time, the fallen angel wasn't able to defend against it. She was knocked back by the force of the blast, stopping only after she skid across the ground.

Hisoka stared up at the back of Tsuzuki. There was a power emitting from him that the empath had never felt before. While he had felt something similar in the past, it was never to this degree. After the attack, he felt a sense of fear from his partner. Was this the power Tsuzuki had been repressing this whole time, the demon part of him he'd been too scared to even acknowledge existed? If it hadn't been the fact that it was Tsuzuki standing before him and not someone else, the raw power would have scared him. Yet, because it was Tsuzuki, the only thing Hisoka feared was how Tsuzuki felt about it. His partner seemed to be trying to bury the fear, however, in favor of using his power to end this fight once and for all.

With Tsuzuki's new display of power, most of the remaining demons decided to turn their attention on him. Hisoka took advantage of the distraction to summon his Shikigami again. While he knew he was getting tired from all the energy he'd been expending, he ignored it, even as the dragon appeared and caused another large drain on Hisoka. At the Shinigami's command, Kurikara flew to Tsuzuki's side, fighting off any demons that threatened to get close enough to attack him. The tides turned, and the demons were quickly losing the fight. As their numbers dwindled, some retreated. Those that didn't retreat were killed.

Silence suddenly reigned, no demons left standing. Hisoka dismissed Kurikara. With the adrenaline rush over, he began to feel just how much energy he'd burned. He swayed, but held on to a nearby tree to keep himself upright. He was getting dizzy, and feared he may actually collapse. Ahead of him, he saw Tsuzuki sink to his knees. Worried, he ignored his own exhaustion, pushed himself off the trunk of the tree and made his way over to his partner.

Tsuzuki sat staring ahead at nothing in particular. He didn't know what to think, how to feel about what had happened. While the others sounded happy at the victory, and it was indeed a good thing that the demons had been defeated without any major injuries or casualties, he just couldn't bring himself to be happy. He'd seen the extent of his own power, the demon part of him unleash, and it scared him. It was too strong, too unforgiving.

It reminded him too much of the night when his sister died, when he'd snapped and felt that rush of power that led to the deaths of others.

While he had no choice against the demons, who was to say he wouldn't use it against a human, against anything that didn't deserve it? Who was to say he wouldn't end up any better than Muraki?

A hand on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts. Realizing it was Hisoka, he tried to hide them, though he knew the empath had already felt them.

"Tsuzuki..."

Tsuzuki looked up at him with a forced smile. "We did it."

Hisoka knelt beside him, hand still on his shoulder. "Don't try to fake it, Tsuzuki. I know you better than that."

"I'm...I'm..." He wanted to say 'I'm fine', but he couldn't seem to bring himself to lie this time. It was something he'd said so many times before behind a mask of happiness, so why couldn't he now?

"You can tell me, Tsuzuki."

Tsuzuki stayed silent. Before Hisoka was able to say anything else, Tatsumi stopped beside them.

"Tsuzuki-san...I'm glad you are back."

The purple-eyed Shinigami looked up at his former partner, somewhat disbelieving that everyone had come to help him. "Tatsumi..."

"We were worried about ya!" Watari said, smiling at his friend.

Kannuki nodded in agreement. "Don't leave us in the dark next time, okay?" She looked up expectantly at Terazuma, who had returned to his normal form.

"Don't go running off and causing trouble again." Terazuma grumbled, not looking at Tsuzuki.

"Hajime!" Kannuki sighed and turned back to Tsuzuki. "He was worried too, he just won't admit it."

Tsuzuki didn't know what to say. Did they really know the truth about him? Did they know he wasn't human? They had seen him in battle, so they had to have seen it, and yet, here they were, all telling him how they were worried for him, how they were happy he was back. Did he really deserve such sentiments?

"Well, it seems it's all under control now." Tsukiori said, joining the group. "I'm going to continue to keep an eye on things, since it's sure to be hectic. With what has happened though, Meifu is going to have no choice but to contact Ashitarote. There shouldn't be any more demon attacks, and if there are, they'll be swiftly dealt with by both sides." She looked to Tsuzuki and Hisoka. "Take care, Tsuzuki, Kurosaki."

Hisoka gave a nod. "Thank you, Tsukiori."

"Don't mention it." With that, Tsukiori left, transporting herself elsewhere.

"We should get going too." Tatsumi said, "I'm going to report to the chief about what happened, he needs to know right away."

Watari nodded. "I'll go with you. Hey, Hisoka, take care of Tsuzuki for us!" With a wink, Watari and Tatsumi left as well.

"I suppose we'll be going too then." Kannuki smiled, then leaned down to hug Tsuzuki and then Hisoka. "If you need anything at all, just let me know!" Soon, she and Terazuma were gone as well, leaving Hisoka and Tsuzuki alone.

"We should go back too."

"I...I can't go back." Tsuzuki said, staring down, not looking at Hisoka.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't belong."

"Don't be stupid, of course you belong."

"No...Ashitarote himself confirmed it. I'm not human, Hisoka. My father...he was half-demon. My mother was human. I'm not human, but I'm not a full demon either. I don't belong anywhere." Tsuzuki bit his lip, trying to hold back tears. "I can't go back after what I did. I even left you." The pain of leaving Hisoka behind was the worst he'd ever experienced. It was made even worse when he remembered Hisoka's words to him in Kyoto. Tsuzuki felt like he'd failed Hisoka completely. His attempts to protect him once again backfired. It was too much. The only time he'd ever felt so bad was when he failed his sister, and had lost her as a result. "I wanted to protect you, but it backfired. I failed you again."

Hisoka put a hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder, and the older man buried his face in his chest, sobbing and clinging to Hisoka. "I'm so s-sorry, Hi-soka. I didn't want to leave you, but I...I wanted to protect you! I-I couldn't put you in any more danger! But, you still came back for me. I'm so sorry."

"Of course I came back for you. I can never abandon you."

"I'm sorry. I love you, Hisoka. That's why...that's why I left. I had to do anything it took to keep you safe, even if I didn't want it. I didn't mean what I said, I just wanted to protect you. I love you."

Hisoka didn't know how to respond. Nobody had ever told him they loved him before. He knew Tsuzuki cared about him, but he'd always pushed the thought of love aside. Part of it had been because he didn't think anybody would love him, but the bigger part was because he was scared. He was afraid of being in love. He feared being hurt in the end.

For the time being, Hisoka just let Tsuzuki cry in his arms. He patiently waited for the man to calm down, knowing it would be better to hold a conversation after he stopped crying. Once Tsuzuki's sobs slowed, Hisoka pulled away slightly. "Let's go home."

Tsuzuki gave a nod, and let Hisoka teleport them out of the living world and to his apartment. They entered silently. The older man sat down on the couch, the younger following suit. It was Hisoka who spoke up first.

"Tsuzuki, you understand you belong here now, right?"

"I...I don't know. How can they accept somebody like me? How can you accept somebody that's...not even human?"

Hisoka turned to face Tsuzuki, making sure his partner was looking him in the eye. "Listen to me. It doesn't matter what you are. It's who you are. I don't care if you told me you were a full demon. You are more human than anybody I know. The ones who are the demons are the ones who can kill others without remorse. Muraki is a demon. My mother was a demon. But you, Tsuzuki...you care for everyone. You will do everything in your power to protect another. That is why you are, without a doubt, human."

"Hisoka..."

Hisoka moved to wrap his arms tightly around his partner. "Stay with me. Please... I need you, more than you realize. When I told you that I need you in my life that time in Kyoto, I meant it, every word of it. Don't apologize any more...just stay. You're the place I belong, and I want to be the same for you. I'll always be here for you, just like you've always done for me."

Tsuzuki returned the embrace. "Thank you, Hisoka..." He rested his head against Hisoka's chest, listening to the steady, soothing sound of his heartbeat. Closing his eyes, he relaxed in his partner's arms. To think that he had almost lost this...it surely would have been tormenting. He could no longer live without Hisoka, and it seemed Hisoka couldn't live without him either. The bond they had formed couldn't be broken. They belonged with each other, and that was all that mattered.

"I really meant it when I said that I love you, Hisoka. I love you more than anything. I can't pretend I don't think of you as more than just my friend and work partner. You mean everything to me."

Suddenly worried his confession might have scared Hisoka, Tsuzuki pulled away and looked at him. "I'm sorry if I scared you. If you don't feel the same, it's fine, and I won't act on it. I just...had to tell you."

"Tsuzuki..." Hisoka blushed as Tsuzuki looked into his eyes. There was so much caring in those purple eyes, such a warm feeling coming from him, a feeling that Hisoka had never felt before his death, but one that he had, perhaps, begun seeking sometime during this second chance. He was unsure, however, of how to react to this kind of love. While he couldn't deny that he did, in some way, love Tsuzuki, he was unsure how how far he could take it. The thought of forming a relationship scared him, but at the same time, to have one with Tsuzuki, it was inviting. If there was anyone he could ever get that intimate with, it was his partner, the one person he knew would never hurt him.

"That's not it. You mean a lot to me, Tsuzuki, it's just..." the empath averted his gaze, "I'm not sure...what to do. I mean, I need you in my life, no matter what, but I don't know if I can...provide you with what you want. It's..." he sighed in aggravation. "I'm sorry, Tsuzuki, I just need to think about it a little. Please don't take it the wrong way."

Tsuzuki gave a soft smile. "I understand. I thought you'd need some time to figure it out. Just know that I don't intend to change what we currently have unless you want to. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't like to be with you, but I'm perfectly content with the relationship we already have. As long as I have you with me, that is all that matters."

"Thank you, Tsuzuki. Umm...we can still...cuddle, if you'd like." Hisoka blushed, hoping his hesitation hadn't ruined the moment. He knew Tsuzuki enjoyed it, and, after almost losing him, Hisoka did too. The warm emotions Tsuzuki felt were appealing to the empath, and being so close was physically comfortable.

Tsuzuki smiled and moved to rest against his partner again, arms around his waist and head laying against his chest. As he felt Hisoka's arms wrap around him, he closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. In the end, he was glad that Hisoka had come for him and rescued him from his own decision, because, as he'd come to realize, there was no place he was happier, no place he belonged more, than with Hisoka.

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**_ And thus is the end of this fanfiction. Thank you so much to all those who have read and reviewed! I truly appreciate it. I've really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it just as much. This isn't quite the end, however. As I have mentioned previously, I am planning a sequel. Just as a little hint, whereas the main focus of this one was Tsuzuki and his past, the next will look more into Hisoka overcoming his personal demons. You can expect a bit more romance in the next one too, as our two little lovebirds continue to grow closer. ;) Keep an eye out for it! Thank you again for following this story until the end. Until next time! ^^_


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